This study is a nonequivalent control group, non-synchronized designed quasi-experimental study to find out the effects of laughter therapy on pain and state anxiety of postmastectomy patients. The participants were 33 patients admitted for mastectomy...
This study is a nonequivalent control group, non-synchronized designed quasi-experimental study to find out the effects of laughter therapy on pain and state anxiety of postmastectomy patients. The participants were 33 patients admitted for mastectomy in a college affiliated hospital, 17 patients in experimental group and 16 patients in control group from November, 2008 to March, 2009. Two registered nurses who were certified 1st degree laughter therapist and a specialist applied the intervention once a day for 30minutes from 2nd day to 6th day after surgery when visited them.
The instruments used were the 'Numeric Rating Scale' for pain and the standardized 'State-Trait Anxiety Inventory' (Kim & Shin, 1978; Spielberger, 1970) for anxiety. Date were analyzed using SPSS 15.0 with the x2-test, Mann-Whitney U test, repeated measures of ANOVA, paired t-test and ANCOVA.
The result were as follows;
1) Overall, the level of pain in experimental group was significantly lower than that in control group (F=30.001, p<.001). Since the level of pain in all participants was reduced as time passed, the interaction effect between time and group was found (F=8.574, p<.001).
2) The level of state anxiety in experimental group was significantly lower than that in control group (p<.001).
Based on the results, the laughter therapy may be recommended as an useful intervention to effectively reduce pain and state anxiety of postmastectomy patients.