Effects of laughter therapy versus walking on prenatal attachment and mental well-being of pregnant women: A randomized controlled study

This study aimed to comparatively reveal the effects of laughter therapy versus walking on prenatal attachment and mental well-being of pregnant women. The sample was identified through snowball sampling among eligible pregnant women and subsequently randomized into the laughter therapy and walking groups using random.org. This randomized controlled experimental study was conducted with 78 pregnant women (40 received laughter therapy, 38 walked regularly) in their 20-30th weeks of pregnancy. The study was conducted between April 25th, 2024, and June 25th, 2024. The pregnant women in the laughter therapy group received 20-30-minute laughter therapy sessions once a week for 8 weeks. The pregnant women in the walking group were given a walking program to follow for 8 weeks. In the laughter therapy group, the post-test Prenatal Attachment scores and the mean Mental Well-Being scores were found to be statistically significantly higher than in the walking group (Cohen d=0.59 ≈ 0.50; Cohen d=0.94 ≈ 1.0, respectively). We concluded that pregnant women who received laughter therapy had higher levels of prenatal attachment and mental well-being than those who walked.