Laughter Yoga: Feasibility, Satisfaction, and Stress Reduction among Primary Care Staff

Introduction: Occupational stress has become a common problem and costs U.S. industries an estimated $300 billion annually. Prolonged exposure to high levels of occupational stress results in a plethora of negative job-related, physical, and psychological effects. Research supports humor-based laughter as a stress-reduction technique but whether self-simulated laughter using modalities such as laughter yoga can also be used to reduce stress remains in question. Aims: The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility, staff satisfaction, and stress reduction efficacy of laughter yoga among primary care staff members. Method: A quasi-experimental research study with a single-group pre-test post-test design. Participants were asked to attend a once-weekly 15-minute laughter yoga session for a total of four weeks. Results: Twelve primary care staff members attended at least one laughter yoga session and one staff member attended all four sessions. The majority of participants indicated that a once-weekly, 15-minute session for four weeks was sufficient. Participants reported overall satisfaction with the laughter yoga sessions. Sample sizes for each laughter yoga session were n=6, n=5, n=4, and n=4 respectively. A Friedman Test was performed for all four laughter yoga sessions and three of the four sessions demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in self-reported stress after attending the session. Conclusion: This study found that the laughter yoga intervention was feasible, satisfactory, and effective at reducing stress among staff members of a primary care clinic but further research is needed.