Effects of Laughter Yoga in Mothers of PICU Patients

Having a child hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a highly stressful experience for parents, particularly mothers, and is often associated with increased psychological distress, reduced resilience, and ineffective coping strategies. Despite the critical importance of supporting parental mental well-being in PICU settings, there is a lack of evidence-based, non-pharmacological interventions that simultaneously target resilience and coping attitudes. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of laughter yoga on resilience and coping attitudes in mothers of children in the pediatric intensive care unit. A single-blind, parallel-group randomized controlled trial was conducted with the mothers of children hospitalized in the PICU for at least one week. Mothers in the intervention group participated in structured laughter yoga sessions lasting 15-20 minutes over 3-4 days, while the control group received routine care only. Data were collected using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Coping Attitudes Assessment Scale before and after the intervention.