| Author: | Tan, Hiu Man Lada |
| Title: | A randomized controlled trial of a Laugher Yoga programme for social work students in Hong Kong |
| Advisors: | Lo, Herman (APSS) |
| Degree: | DSW |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Department: | Department of Applied Social Sciences |
| Pages: | 141 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Background to the Study: This study investigated the effects of a Laughter Yoga programme as a stress intervention for social work students in Hong Kong for reducing their stress and mental health challenges during the period of post COVID-19. Objectives: i) To examine the programme's effects on participants' stress, depression, and anxiety; ii) To examine the programme's effects on participants' psychological well-being, including their physical distress and daily functioning; iii) To examine the programme's effect on participants' level of resilience; iv) To investigate the programme's maintenance effect 6 weeks after the intervention. Methods: A randomised waitlist controlled trial was conducted. A total of 103 social work students were recruited and randomized into the intervention group (n = 51) or waitlist control group (n = 52). The intervention group participated in three weekly sessions of Laughter Yoga, while the control group received no intervention. The study examined the effects of the Laughter Yoga programme on stress, depression, anxiety, resilience, positive affect, negative affect, physical distress, daily functioning, and overall well-being after the intervention, with measurements taken at baseline (T0), immediately post-intervention (T1), and at a 6-week follow-up (T2). Results: Paired samples t tests and a repeated measure ANOVA were used to analyse the programme outcomes. There were significant improvements in stress, depression, anxiety, well-being, resilience level, physical distress, positive affect, and daily functioning in pre- to post-test scores among the students in intervention group but not on negative affect. In addition, there were significant Time x Group effects between the intervention and control groups on stress, anxiety, daily functioning, well-being, positive affect, and resilience but not on depression, bodily distress, or negative affect. At the 6-week follow-up, most improvements were sustained, with the exception of positive affect and daily functioning. While positive affect continued to show significant Time × Group effects, scores for both positive affect and daily functioning declined slightly at follow-up. Discussion and Conclusion: The findings indicate that the 3-week Laughter Yoga intervention produced significant improvements in stress, emotional symptoms, and physical and mental well-being, with effects observed immediately post-intervention and sustained for six of the nine outcomes (i.e., stress, anxiety, well-being, resilience, positive affect, daily functioning) relative to the control group. These results suggests Laughter Yoga can be a brief and effective intervention for improving mental health among social work students. Future research is encouraged to explore broader applications of Laughter Yoga for stress management and for other population groups. The underlying mechanisms contributing to its effectiveness should also be further explored. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8670.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 1.81 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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