Simulated laughter improves mood in hemodialysis patients

A study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice reported that a unique simulated laughter program can help patients who need hemodialysis. According to the authors, this program can improve the patients’ quality of life and mood.

• The study authors set out to determine the effects of a simulated laughter program on cortisol levels, health-related quality of life, and mood in hemodialysis patients.
• In the study, 20 participants were randomly assigned to a laughter group. Another set of 20 patients were also randomly assigned to a control group.
• Eleven participants completed the laughter program after hemodialysis sessions, while 18 control participants remained.
• The four-week simulated laughter program included weekly 60-minute group sessions for various activities like breathing, meditation, simulated laughter, and stretching exercises. The participants also had daily 15-second individual laughter sessions that were administered via telephone.
• The patients’ cortisol levels, health-related quality of life, and mood were measured via the rank analysis of covariance and Wilcoxon’s signed rank test.
• The researchers observed significant improvements in mood, role limitations (due to physical health), social interaction quality, and symptoms among the laughter group.

The research team believes that the simulated laughter program can help enhance health-related quality of life and mood in other patients who require hemodialysis.

Read more articles about other effective alternative cures for kidney diseases at AlternativeMedicine.news.

Journal Reference: 

Heo EH, Kim S, Park HJ, Kil SY. THE EFFECTS OF A SIMULATED LAUGHTER PROGRAMME ON MOOD, CORTISOL LEVELS, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG HAEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2016;25:1–7. DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2016.07.001