The Effects of Laughter Therapy on Self-Esteem and Quality of Life in Patients with Stoma: A Randomized Controlled Study

Why clinicians should know about it

• Picked for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (paper of the day, 8 September 2026): RCT of laughter therapy improving self‑esteem & QoL in stoma

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate its effects on self-esteem and quality of life in patients with stoma. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted through the "Association of Colostomy and Ostomy Patients" between November 2021 and April 2023. The research population consisted of 192 patients who attended the association, and the sample consisted of 74 patients who met the inclusion criteria. After obtaining institutional and ethics committee approval, a total of four sessions of laughter therapy were delivered to participants in the intervention group via video calls over WhatsApp by the certified researcher. The data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the City of Hope-Quality of Life-Ostomy Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26. RESULTS: After laughter therapy, in the posttest and the 3rd-month follow-up measurements, the participants in the intervention group were determined to have significantly higher self-esteem and quality of life levels than those in the control group (p<0.001). In addition, it was determined that the quality of life of the individuals in the intervention group increased more in each measurement. CONCLUSION: Laughter therapy is an effective complementary intervention for improving self-esteem and quality of life in patients with stoma. Its low cost, ease of application, and lack of side effects support its wider use in nursing practice. Additionally, future studies including larger samples and participants from different sociocultural backgrounds are recommended to enhance the generalizability of the findings.

Abstract as published, via PubMed.