Search

Copyright of Konuralp Medical Journal / Konuralp Tip Dergisi is the property of Duzce University Medical School and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Problem: The study was conducted to examine the effects of laughter therapy on happiness level and self‐esteem in 5th grade students. Methods: This study used an experimental study with pretest posttest control group. The study population consisted of 5th grade students studying at a secondary school in Turkey. There were six branches in the 5th grade. Groups were randomly selected from among these 5th grade classes to include 29 students in the intervention group and 32 in the control group. Laughter therapy sessions were applied to the intervention group twice a week for 4 weeks. No intervention was offered to the control group. The data were collected by a questionnaire, the School Children's Happiness Inventory, and the Coopersmith Self‐Esteem Inventory. Results: It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of the School Children's Happiness Inventory (p <.05) but no significant difference was found according to the groups' scores on the Coopersmith Self‐Esteem Inventory (p >.05). Conclusions: In this study, it was determined that laughter therapy increased the happiness level of students yet had no effect on their self‐esteem. It is recommended to organize laughter therapy activities in schools to increase the happiness levels of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]