Academic Journal
The efficacy of laughter-based interventions in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
| Τίτλος: | The efficacy of laughter-based interventions in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Kim B; Department of Nursing, Chodang University, Jeollanamdo, South Korea., Choi S; Department of Nursing, Dongguk University WISE, Gyeongbuk, South Korea. |
| Πηγή: | Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community [J Child Health Care] 2026 Jun; Vol. 30 (2), pp. 378-395. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 May 29. |
| Τύπος έκδοσης: | Journal Article; Systematic Review; Meta-Analysis; Review |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| Στοιχεία περιοδικού: | Publisher: Sage Publications Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 9806360 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1741-2889 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 13674935 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Child Health Care Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: 2002- : London : Sage Publications Original Publication: London : Published for the Association of British Paediatric Nurses by Greycoat Pub., c1997- |
| Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): | Laughter Therapy*/methods , Anxiety*/therapy , Stress, Psychological*/therapy , Pain Management*/methods , Laughter*, Humans ; Child ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic |
| Περίληψη: | This review aimed to analyze the effects of laughter-inducing therapy on anxiety, pain, and stress in children by synthesizing existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Researchers conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis, following the Cochrane Collaboration's methodology for systematic literature review and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We selected and evaluated 12 studies for quality using the Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis, which showed that clown therapy produced a moderate effect on pain relief and a large effect on anxiety reduction in pediatric patients. In conclusion, this review highlights the potential of laughter-inducing therapies as an effective clinical intervention for reducing anxiety, pain, and stress in pediatric patients. These findings provide evidence supporting the use of laughter-based interventions as alternative or complementary approaches in medical settings. The review also underscores the need for further research across diverse clinical environments to validate the effectiveness of laughter-inducing therapies in broader pediatric populations. Overall, the incorporation of laughter-inducing therapy into clinical practice may play a valuable role in enhancing the overall well-being of pediatric patients. |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Anxiety; child; humor therapy; pain management; psychological; stress |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250529 Date Completed: 20260513 Latest Revision: 20260513 |
| Update Code: | 20260513 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/13674935251346886 |
| PMID: | 40441269 |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1741-2889 |
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| DOI: | 10.1177/13674935251346886 |