Group Laughie Intervention for Well-Being in Earthquake Survivors: A Pilot Study

NCT07563140 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: D69703
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Well Being

Keywords

well being; earthquake

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• 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

  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.

  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.

  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"

  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.

  Baseline and Day 14 (end of intervention)

Study Arms (1)

Pre-test

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants assigned to this arm will receive a Group Laughie intervention delivered by a trained nurse and certified laughter yoga instructor. The intervention consists of virtual group sessions conducted via an online platform (e.g., Zoom). Participants will attend one session per day for 14 days, during which they will engage in 1 minute of intentional group laughter to create a Group Laughie. Each session will be recorded, and the recording will be shared with participants. Participants will be instructed to engage in additional laughter practice using the Group Laughie recording twice daily, resulting in a total of approximately 3 minutes of intentional laughter per day. Participants will be encouraged to laugh naturally and voluntarily, either individually or with others, and may focus on personal motivations such as enhancing well-being or positive affect.

Behavioral: Laughie

Interventions

Laughie BEHAVIORAL

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.

Pre-test

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hacettepe University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hacettepe University

Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Links

• Pubished Paper

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 21, 2026
• First Posted: May 1, 2026
• Study Start: February 15, 2024
• Primary Completion: February 29, 2024
• Study Completion: August 30, 2024
• Last Updated: May 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL

Locations

TU (1)