The Effect of Laughter Yoga on the Psychological Resilience and Sleep Quality of Nurses During the Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background • During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses frequently experienced psychological health problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and stress. These problems have reduced the psychological health of nurses. Primary Objective • This study aims to reveal the effect of laughter yoga on the psychological resilience and sleep quality of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design • This randomized controlled trial study was carried out using an experimental research design with pre-and post-tests, including a control group. Setting • This study was conducted on nurses working in a hospital in Erzurum, located in the northeastern part of Turkey. Participants • The study involved 90 nurses, including 46 in the experimental group and 44 in the control group, between October and December 2021. Intervention • As an intervention, laughter yoga sessions were held online on Zoom for nurses in the experimental group. The experimental group was divided into three groups of 17, 17, and 16 individuals. Eight sessions of laughter yoga (two days a week for four weeks) were offered to nurses in the experimental group. Primary Outcome Measures • The Introductory Question Form, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used for data collection. Results • Laughter yoga significantly improved the resilience levels and sleep quality of the experimental group (P < .05). Conclusion • Laughter yoga can be used to improve the resilience and sleep quality of nurses..