The Effect of Laughter Yoga on Hope and Well-Being Levels of Earthquake Victim Mothers

In Turkey, on February 6, 2023, an earthquake measuring 7.7 in magnitude centered in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş Province, followed by a second earthquake measuring 7.6 in magnitude centered in Elbistan, caused the deaths of 50,783 people in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Adana, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya and Elazığ. The magnitude of the cost impact of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake, which is described as the "disaster of the century" and calculated as 103.6 billion dollars, is as disturbing as the devastating effect of the disaster on individuals' levels of hope and well-being.

In line with previous studies, the high probability that socio-psychological effects will continue for a long time after the February 6, 2023 earthquakes necessitates physical and mental self-care activities to support the health and well-being of those affected by the disaster.

In order for the child's first teacher and guide to be his/her mother and for the widespread impact of our project to reach a wider audience directly and indirectly, the project will address the suitability of laughter yoga as a relaxing practice that will benefit earthquake-stricken mothers living in the provinces of Elazığ and Malatya, which were affected by the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes.

Laughter yoga, which has become increasingly popular worldwide and has recently been recognized as a low-cost, risk-free and less time-consuming practice for improving mental health, is a group-based laughter exercise that includes real-life laughter, light movement, stretching, rhythmic breathing and meditation. When articles evaluating the psychological and physiological effects of laughter yoga on individuals are examined, it is observed that promising results are obtained. A recent meta-analysis of 45 interventions that encourage laughter with 2,500 randomized participants found significant positive mental and physical health effects. Although challenging, laughing when sad can be "a great way to balance sadness."

Hope is considered as a situation that includes the individual's high positive expectations for the future, their belief in the world, and the idea that life is worth living. High hope also has a positive effect on coping with traumatic experiences. It is known that individuals' well-being decreases as a result of traumatic life events and that they have difficulty coping with the current situation. In a study conducted on 188 adults who experienced the earthquake that occurred in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş on February 6, 2023, it was pointed out that having positive resources such as hope and well-being is important for individuals to cope with post-traumatic symptoms.

Although laughter yoga is expected to support hope and well-being, no study has revealed this relationship after a disaster. Therefore, evidence-based studies are needed to evaluate the effect of laughter yoga on hope and well-being in mothers, who are important building blocks of society after an earthquake. The aim of this study is to clarify the relationship between hope and well-being and laughter yoga after the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes.