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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07119164

Laughter Yoga's Impact on Parental Stress, Burnout, and Self-Efficacy

The present study aims to investigate the effects of laughter yoga on stress levels, burnout, and parental self-efficacy among parents of children with intellectual disabilities.

The specific hypotheses of the study are as follows:

Hypothesis 1: The mean salivary cortisol levels of the intervention group will be significantly lower than those of the control group.

Hypothesis 2: The perceived stress levels of the intervention group will be significantly lower than those of the control group.

Hypothesis 3: The parental self-efficacy levels of the intervention group will be significantly higher than those of the control group.

Hypothesis 4: The burnout levels of the intervention group will be significantly lower than those of the control group.

To assess the effectiveness of the laughter yoga intervention, participants in the intervention group will be compared to a control group of parents who also have children with intellectual disabilities but will not receive any form of intervention. The intervention will consist of a total of eight laughter yoga sessions, conducted twice a week over a four-week period.

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Key information

Conditions

Laughter Yoga Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Burnout Burnout, Psychological Intellectual Disability Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurodevelopmental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Parents Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Self Efficacy Signs and Symptoms Stress Stress, Psychological

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Pamukkale Üniversitesi

Denizli, Kınıklı, 20160, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Parents of children enrolled in the school where the study was conducted
  • Parents of children diagnosed with moderate to severe intellectual disability
  • Parents who are at least literate
  • Parents who can speak and understand Turkish
  • Parents with no prior experience in laughter yoga

Exclusion criteria

  • Parents who have undergone abdominal surgery in the past three months, or those with uncontrolled hypertension, glaucoma, hernia, or epilepsy
  • Parents diagnosed with endocrine disorders such as Cushing's or Addison's disease
  • Parents on continuous medication (e.g., glucocorticoids, antidepressants, insulin, or oral antidiabetics)
  • Pregnant parents
  • Parents with hearing, vision, speech, or intellectual disabilities

Treatment and study plan

laughter yoga

Other

Laughter yoga is a mind-body practice that combines unconditional laughter with yogic breathing techniques (known as pranayama). Developed by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1995, the practice is based on the principle that voluntary laughter can provide similar physiological and psychological benefits as spontaneous laughter. It is typically conducted in group sessions involving eye contact, playful behavior, and laughter exercises, which aim to reduce stress, enhance mood, and promote overall well-being.

Primary outcomes

  1. self-efficacy

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    The scale uses a 7-point Likert-type rating system and consists of 17 items. The total score ranges from a minimum of 17 to a maximum of 119. Higher scores indicate higher levels of self-efficacy. The Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale was found to be 0.95.

    When examining the findings related to the reliability and validity of the scale, it was found-contrary to the original version-that the scale has a unidimensional structure. It has been determined to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing the parental self-efficacy levels of mothers and fathers of children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities in Turkey.

  2. burnout

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    The items are rated on a 4-point scale based on how frequently participants experience the emotions described in the items, ranging from 0 ("never") to 4 ("every day"). The scale consists of two subdimensions: Emotional Exhaustion and Personal Accomplishment.

    The Emotional Exhaustion subscale includes 13 items and has a reliability coefficient of 0.80. Higher average scores on this subscale indicate greater levels of burnout. The Personal Accomplishment subscale consists of 8 items, also with a reliability coefficient of 0.80. Unlike the Emotional Exhaustion subscale, lower average scores on the Personal Accomplishment subscale indicate a higher level of experienced burnout.

  3. Perceived stress

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    The internal consistency coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.84, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was found to be 0.87. The scale consists of 14 items and is rated on a 5-point Likert-type scale. The total score obtained from the sum of the items reflects the respondent's perceived level of stress, with higher scores indicating a higher level of perceived stress.

  4. stress

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Stress levels were assessed by analyzing salivary cortisol concentrations.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Pamukkale University

Other

Collaborators

  • Pamukkale University scientific research project department

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Laughter Yoga Applied to Parents of Mentally Disabled Children on Stress Level, Burnout and Parental Self-Efficacy

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Aug 12, 2025
Registry last updated
Aug 12, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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