Effects of Online Laughter Yoga and Psychoeducation on Perceived Stress and Career Anxiety in Nursing Students

Effects of Online Laughter Yoga and Psychoeducation on Perceived Stress and Career Anxiety in Nursing Students: A Three-Arm Randomized Controlled Trial

.This randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of online laughter yoga and a structured psychoeducational program on perceived stress and career anxiety among nursing students undertaking clinical placements.

The study employed a three-arm, randomized, controlled pre-test-post-test design. A total of 60 nursing students were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to the laughter yoga, psychoeducation, or control group, with 20 participants in each group. Both active interventions were delivered online twice weekly for four weeks.

Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Short Form of the Adult Career Concerns Scale. Changes in perceived stress and career anxiety over time were evaluated across the three study groups. The primary statistical analysis used a linear mixed-effects model, with supplementary analyses including mixed-effects analysis of variance, post-hoc comparisons, and analysis of covariance.

Keywords: laughter yoga, psychoeducation, psychiatric nursing, nursing students

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be a student on the nursing programme
• Be aged 18 or over
• Agree to participate in the study on a voluntary basis
• Have internet access and a suitable device (mobile phone/computer) to take part in the online sessions
• Complete the data collection tools in full

Exclusion Criteria:

• Failure to attend sessions regularly during the study
• Filling in data collection forms incompletely or incorrectly
• Being in another psychoeducation or stress reduction program at the same time
• Having a psychiatric diagnosis and being actively receiving treatment
• Wishing to withdraw from the research during the study period