Humor and Laughter Therapy for Anxiety and Depression Among Hospitalized Patients: A Narrative Review of the Evidence
Abstract
Anxiety and depression are common among hospitalized patients, particularly those undergoing long-term care, and are linked to poorer recovery and reduced quality of life. Humor and laughter therapy have been proposed as low-cost, non-pharmacological adjuncts to reduce psychological distress in clinical settings, and a growing body of published trials and meta-analyses has examined their effects, although findings vary across populations and intervention formats. This narrative review synthesizes previously published evidence on the effects of humor and laughter therapy on anxiety and depression among hospitalized and institutionalized patients, with particular attention to long-term care settings. No primary data were collected; evidence was drawn exclusively from previously published randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, and meta-analyses identified through published academic sources. A quasi-experimental comparison study conducted across two long-term care hospitals found significantly greater improvement in depression and sleep among patients receiving structured laughter therapy, delivered as eight sessions of 40 minutes twice weekly, compared with a no-intervention comparison group (t = -7.12, p < .001). A meta-analysis of 814 participants across 10 studies found that laughter interventions significantly reduced depression and anxiety and improved sleep quality, with stronger depression benefits associated with longer intervention duration. A separate meta-analysis of randomized trials reported a significant moderate-to-large effect on anxiety (SMD = -0.83, 95% CI -1.12 to -0.54), with laughter yoga showing the largest effect (SMD = -
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