Effects of Online Laughter Yoga and Psychoeducation on Perceived Stress and Career Anxiety in Nursing Students

Okan University60 enrolled

Overview

.This randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of online laughter yoga and a structured psychoeducational program on perceived stress and career anxiety among nursing students undertaking clinical placements. The study employed a three-arm, randomized, controlled pre-test-post-test design. A total of 60 nursing students were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to the laughter yoga, psychoeducation, or control group, with 20 participants in each group. Both active interventions were delivered online twice weekly for four weeks. Data were collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Short Form of the Adult Career Concerns Scale. Changes in perceived stress and career anxiety over time were evaluated across the three study groups. The primary statistical analysis used a linear mixed-effects model, with supplementary analyses including mixed-effects analysis of variance, post-hoc comparisons, and analysis of covariance. Keywords: laughter yoga, psychoeducation, psychiatric nursing, nursing students

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

The Effect of Online Laughter Yoga Combined With Psychoeducation on Perceived Stress and Career Anxiety Among Nursing Students

Interventions

Laughter Yoga ProgrammeBEHAVIORAL

The programme began with an introductory session and basic techniques, followed by intermediate-level laughter exercises, energy-boosting activities, group interaction and emotional release exercises; it concluded with consolidation and closing sessions. The content consisted of a combination of deep yoga breathing exercises and unconditional (unprompted) laughter techniques.

Psychoeducational ProgrammeBEHAVIORAL

A structured psychoeducational programme delivered online over 4 weeks, comprising 2 sessions per week (8 sessions in total, 40-60 minutes per session), covering the topics of stress, coping strategies, emotion regulation and career awareness.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Be a student on the nursing programme * Be aged 18 or over * Agree to participate in the study on a voluntary basis * Have internet access and a suitable device (mobile phone/computer) to take part in the online sessions * Complete the data collection tools in full Exclusion Criteria: * Failure to attend sessions regularly during the study * Filling in data collection forms incompletely or incorrectly * Being in another psychoeducation or stress reduction program at the same time * Having a psychiatric diagnosis and being actively receiving treatment * Wishing to withdraw from the research during the study period

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Perceived Stress Scale

The Perceived Stress Scale is a 10-item scale assessing perceived stress during the previous month. Each item is scored from 0 to 4, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 40. Higher scores indicate higher levels of perceived stress.

Time frame: Baseline and 4 weeks after the start of the intervention

Secondary Outcomes

Adult Career Anxiety Scale - Short Form

A 9-item scale assessing career anxiety across four subdimensions: Exploration, Establishment, Maintenance, and Disengagement. The total score ranges from 9 to 45, with higher scores indicating higher levels of career anxiety.

Time frame: Baseline (pre-test) and at the end of the 4-week intervention (post-test)