The Effect of Laughter Yoga on Loneliness, Anger and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Visually Impaired Individuals

Plain-language summary

Purpose: This project aimed to examine the effects of laughter yoga, which is accepted as an international nursing initiative, on loneliness, anger and salivary cortisol levels in visually impaired individuals. When the national and international literature was examined, no project was found that measured the results of laughter yoga as an intervention for visually impaired individuals. For this reason, planning an original project in this field aims to contribute to the literature. Thanks to the evidence obtained, laughter yoga, an innovative approach, can be disseminated in institutions and organizations serving visually impaired individuals as an evidence-based practice that can improve the social skills of individuals. Scope and Target Audience: The project will be carried out with visually impaired individuals receiving services in the Disabled Persons Department within the Atatürk Provincial Public Library located in Konak district of Izmir. In this section, services are provided to 250 members who actively use the library and to visually impaired people from all over Turkey. Method and Expected Result: The project was planned in a randomized controlled, pre-test post-test, single-blind follow-up consultancy design. With this initiative, a social rehabilitation environment will be provided for visually impaired individuals by taking an approach based on respect, understanding and awareness. Laughter yoga is expected to reduce the level of anger and loneliness in visually impaired individuals. At the same time, laughter yoga is expected to reduce cortisol levels, which are known to increase when faced with stress factors, and increase serotonin, which is associated with happiness and vitality, and endorphine, known as the body's natural painkiller. With laughter yoga sessions, a social environment will be created where visually impaired individuals will have an active and independent experience. Thanks to the expected evidence, laughter yoga can be popularized both in visually impaired individuals and in individuals with other disabilities. Within the scope of protecting and improving health, laughter yoga can be planned to be carried out as a routine nursing practice in disabled centers. Thus, by creating an environment where visually impaired individuals and nurses come together, a more accessible health service will be provided to individuals with special needs.

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