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Effectiveness of Integrative Laughter Therapy to Reduce Anxiety, Improve Self-Esteem and Increase Happiness: A Naturalistic Study at a Day Hospital for Addictive Disorders

Author

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  • Seyla De Francisco

    (Escola Universitària d’Infermeria de l’Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (EUI Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
    Unitat de Conductes Addictives, Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Cristina Torres

    (Unitat de Conductes Addictives, Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Sandra De Andrés

    (Unitat de Conductes Addictives, Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
    Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Ana Millet

    (Unitat de Conductes Addictives, Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain)

  • M. Teresa Ricart

    (Escola Universitària d’Infermeria de l’Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (EUI Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
    Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Elvira Hernández-Martínez-Esparza

    (Escola Universitària d’Infermeria de l’Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (EUI Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08025 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Mercedes Abades

    (Escola Universitària d’Infermeria de l’Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (EUI Sant Pau), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08025 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Joan Trujols

    (Unitat de Conductes Addictives, Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
    Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
    Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

Little is known about the effectiveness of laughter therapy as an adjunctive treatment for patients with addictive disorders. This study aims to evaluate the benefits of integrative laughter therapy (ILT) on levels of self-esteem, anxiety, and happiness in patients treated for addiction at a day hospital (DH). A prospective, naturalistic study with a pre-post design was conducted. All 185 participants received the standard, multicomponent treatment at the DH (treatment as usual; TAU). The participants were also invited to attend weekly ILT sessions. Upon completion of the 2-month DH treatment program, patients were classified according to their attendance at the ILT sessions: patients who attended ≥80% constituted the experimental group (TAU + ILT group) while those who attended <80% were considered controls. Although both groups achieved statistically significant increases in self-esteem and happiness with a decrease in trait anxiety, the improvement on these variables was significantly greater in the TAU + ILT group. Subject to the limitations inherent to quasi-experimental research, the findings of the present study suggest that the addition of an ILT module to the standard treatment in a DH for addictive disorders may yield greater improvement in self-esteem, anxiety, and happiness compared to TAU.

Suggested Citation

  • Seyla De Francisco & Cristina Torres & Sandra De Andrés & Ana Millet & M. Teresa Ricart & Elvira Hernández-Martínez-Esparza & Mercedes Abades & Joan Trujols, 2019. "Effectiveness of Integrative Laughter Therapy to Reduce Anxiety, Improve Self-Esteem and Increase Happiness: A Naturalistic Study at a Day Hospital for Addictive Disorders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-10, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:21:p:4194-:d:281555
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. van der Wal, C. Natalie & Kok, Robin N., 2019. "Laughter-inducing therapies: Systematic review and meta-analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 473-488.
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    Cited by:

    1. Albert Feliu-Soler & Javier de Diego-Adeliño & Juan V. Luciano & Ioseba Iraurgi & Carlo Alemany & Dolors Puigdemont & Víctor Pérez & Maria J. Portella & Joan Trujols, 2021. "Unhappy While Depressed: Examining the Dimensionality, Reliability and Validity of the Subjective Happiness Scale in a Spanish Sample of Patients with Depressive Disorders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-13, October.

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