Clinical trial NCT06344624: The Effect of Cognitive and Laughter Therapy on Psychological Symptoms in Nursing Students
Official title: Comparing Brief Cognitive-behavioral Group Therapy and Laughter Yoga on Depression and Psychological Resilience in Nursing Students With Mental Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mental Health Issue
Keywords: Brief cognitive-behavioral group therapy
laughter yoga
mental symptoms
nursing students
Lead sponsor: Mersin University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-04-03
Enrollment: 114
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 45
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: A randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The presence of high mental symptoms among nursing students in Turkey highlights the need to develop various support strategies in nursing education to preserve and ensure the continuity of the nursing workforce. This study aims to compare the effects of brief cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy and laughter yoga on mental symptoms in nursing students with mental symptoms.

Detailed description: A randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest design is planned to be conducted among 114 nursing students with mental symptoms between April and June 2024. The block randomization method will be used to assign students to the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Group and the Laughter Group. Brief cognitive behavioral therapy (b-CBT) will be applied to one group, and laughter yoga will be applied to the other group twice a week for 3 weeks, with sessions lasting 60 minutes each. Data will be collected through the Brief Symptom Inventory, Psychological Resilience Scale, and Automatic Thoughts Scale. Measurements will be done at baseline, right after the sixth session ends, and four weeks later.

During the b-CBT process, techniques such as breath-body awareness and self-identification, coping techniques for emotional and physical symptoms of depression, recognizing the interaction between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, cognitive restructuring to replace dysfunctional thoughts and internal dialogues with functional ones, and future planning will be employed. Laughter yoga will consist of four parts: deep breathing exercises, warm-up exercises, playful activities, and laughter exercises.

The results obtained from the research will provide an opportunity to identify methods that may be effective in helping nurses acquire the necessary skills to improve their mental health.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Currently enrolled in the nursing faculty between April 10, 2024, and June 2, 2024.

* Scored within the top 20% on the Brief Symptom Inventory for mental symptom scores.
* Voluntarily agree to participate in the study and have signed the Informed Consent Form.
* Understand and comprehend Turkish language

Exclusion Criteria:

* Having received cognitive behavioral therapy previously.
* Undergoing psychological or psychiatric treatment.
* Underwent surgical procedures in the last three months.
* Having chronic illnesses requiring regular medication use.
* Having glaucoma or hernia conditions.

Primary outcomes:
measure: The change in mental symptoms will be assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory.
timeFrame: Changing from at baseline (pretest- T0) and right after the end of the 6th season (post test- T1) and and 4 weeks later the end of the 6th season (T2).
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Psychological resilience will be assessed using the Psychological Resilience Scale.
timeFrame: Changing from at baseline (pretest- T0) and right after the end of the 6th season (post test- T1) and 4 weeks later the end of the 6th season (T2).
measure: Negative self-evaluations and thought patterns will be assessed using the Automatic Thoughts Scale.
timeFrame: Changing from at baseline (pretest- T0) and right after the end of the 6th season (post test- T1) and 4 weeks later the end of the 6th season (T2).
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Mersin
country: Turkey
facility: Turkey, Mersin University
Study officials:
affiliation: Mersin University
name: EMİNE ÖNCÜ
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: