Mental health and quality of life may be negatively impacted among earthquake survivors. This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and potential effects of a 1-minute Laughie (Laugh Intentionally Everyday) laughter prescription on well-being among earthquake survivors in Türkiye. The study is designed as a within-subject pretest-posttest study including approximately 20 participants. The Group Laughie intervention will be delivered once daily over a 2-week period, and participants will be instructed to engage in additional laughter practice using the Group Laughie recording twice daily, resulting in a total of 3 minutes of intentional laughter per day. Data will be collected using a range of questionnaires to assess feasibility, reach, acceptability, fidelity, and well-being outcomes. Measures include Laughie Checklists, a Post-Intervention Perceived Impact Measure (PIPIM), and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). The findings of this study are expected to provide preliminary evidence regarding the feasibility and potential impact of a brief online laughter intervention on psychological well-being in earthquake survivors.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
20
The intervention is a group-based Laughie (Laugh Intentionally Everyday) prescription delivered over 14 consecutive days. Laughie is a structured well-being approach that incorporates intentional smiling and laughter exercises. The intervention will be delivered through daily virtual group sessions conducted via an online platform (e.g., Zoom). During each session, participants will engage in approximately 1 minute of guided intentional laughter in a group setting. Each session will be recorded, and participants will be provided access to the Group Laughie recording. Participants will be instructed to engage in additional laughter practice using the recording twice daily, resulting in approximately 3 minutes of intentional laughter per day. The group-based format is designed to support participant engagement and social interaction during the intervention period.
Hacettepe University
Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)
Laughie checklists
Following the Group Laughie participants noted whether they enjoyed it, and whether they laughed for the full minute, or at least for 30 s. Participants were prescribed to laugh with their Group Laughie twice a day. Similarly, and in addition, participants noted if they enjoyed laughing with the Group Laughie and whether they laughed for the full minute, or at least 30 s, after each time. This resulted in data from 840 Laughie experiences (3 × 14 × 20). This data is briefly summarized in the Results section
Time frame: At baseline (prior to intervention) and immediately after the 14-day intervention
Laughie checklists
Following the Group Laughie participants noted whether they enjoyed it, and whether they laughed for the full minute, or at least for 30 s. Participants were prescribed to laugh with their Group Laughie twice a day. Similarly, and in addition, participants noted if they enjoyed laughing with the Group Laughie and whether they laughed for the full minute, or at least 30 s, after each time. This resulted in data from 840 Laughie experiences (3 × 14 × 20). This data is briefly summarized in the Results section.
Time frame: At baseline (prior to intervention) and immediately after the 14-day intervention
Laughie experience questionnaire
The Laughie Experience Questionnaire is a post-intervention questionnaire designed to assess participant experience and intervention acceptability. The questionnaire includes items evaluating enjoyment and perceived experience of the 14-day Laughie prescription and daily group sessions. Participants will respond to statements (e.g., enjoyment of the intervention and group sessions) using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree." The measure is adapted for use in this study based on previously developed Laughie-related questionnaires.
Time frame: Immediately after the 14-day intervention
Post intervention perceived impact measure (PIPIM): the PPOP
The PIPIM is a new descriptive generic post-intervention descriptive measure designed to draw out intervention perceived impact (IPI) by aligning all questions to the intervention being used. Here, the PIPIM used was an adapted version of the PPOP (Positive Psychology One-off Post-intervention measure) conceived by one of the authors and first applied in citizen science research. The PPOP consists of 20 questions including "Do you feel more happy and cheerful after using the Laughie for 14 days" and "Do you have more energy after using the Laughie for 14 days". PIPIMs use an 11-point Likert scale (0 to 10): "A great deal less; A lot less; A fair bit less; A little less; A tiny bit less; The same; A tiny bit more; A little more; A fair bit more; A lot more; A great deal more"
Time frame: Immediately after the 14-day intervention
WHO five well-being index (WHO-5)
The WHO-5 Well-being Index (WHO-5; World Health Organization, Citation1998), a widely used and validated measure, was administered pre- and post-intervention as a self-report well-being measure. Eser et al. validated and established the reliability of the WHO-5 Turkish scale in their 2019 study. Based on guidance from Eser et al. (Citation2019), the WHO-5 Turkish scale could be used without seeking explicit permission, provided it was cited appropriately. The scale consists of five items (e.g. 'In the last 2 weeks, I have felt cheerful and in good spirits') rated on a 6-point Likert scale grading; At no time = 0, some of the time = 1, less than half of time = 2, more than half of time = 3, most of the time = 4, all of the time = 5. The scoring of the scale is done by summing the score obtained from each item, and the highest score that can be obtained from the scale is 25 and the lowest score is 0.
Time frame: Baseline and Day 14 (end of intervention)
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