The Effects of Laughter Therapy on Quality of Life and General Health among Elderly People Referring to Jahandidegan Retirement Community Center in Shiraz, 2014

This is a quasi-experimental and interventional study. Goal of study: to determine the effect of laughter therapy on quality of life and public health among the elderly people referring to Jahandidegan ( Khold-e-Barin) retirement community center in Shiraz. Balanced block randomization method is used to randomize the participants, into case and control groups (two groups of 40 each). A briefing session is held for each group individually to familiarize the participants with our research plan. After obtaining informed consent, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and quality of life questionnaire ( SF-12) are completed by those who are willing to participate in the study. Inclusion criteria included age over 60, willingness to participate in the study, completing informed consent form, not participating in a similar study simultaneously and lack of mental disability; while, exclusion criteria included any experience of social-family crisis during the study, unwillingness to participate in the study, more than two absences and any types of respiratory diseases which can be transmitted to other participants. The older adults in the case group participate in a laughter therapy consisted of two 90-minute sessions per week for 6 weeks; while the participants of the case group received no intervention. The questionnaires are completed by the participants of both groups immediately after the intervention. The study is lasted for one and a half month in both groups.

Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Vice Chancellor for Research Affairs