11/05/2018 / By Zoey Sky
People say that a sense of humor makes life’s troubles easier to bear. However, according to the results of a study, implementing a one-of-a-kind simulated laughter program may also help boost the overall health of an individual who requires hemodialysis.
The authors posit that this special program may help improve the quality of life and mood of patients who need to undergo regular hemodialysis treatments.
The researchers wanted to assess the influence of a simulated laughter program on hemodialysis patients’ cortisol levels, health-related quality of life, and mood.
In the study, patients took part in a special four-week simulated laughter program. The researchers observed a group made up of 40 patients. (Related: Don’t Take Life Too Seriously – A Healthy Sense of Humor May Prolong Your Life.)
The laughter group included 20 randomly assigned participants while another set of 20 patients were also randomly assigned to a control group. In the first group, 11 participants finished the laughter program after hemodialysis sessions. At the end of the program, 18 members of the control group remained.
For the four-week simulated laughter program, the hemodialysis patients took part in weekly 60-minute group sessions. The participants joined different various activities such as:
The researchers gauged each patient’s cortisol levels, health-related quality of life, and mood through the thorough rank analysis of covariance and Wilcoxon’s signed rank test. The study findings recorded notable improvements in the laughter group’s mood, role limitations (caused by physical health), social interaction quality, and symptoms.
Based on data gathered from the study, the sci