Effectiveness of laughter therapies on students’ mental health

A meta-analytic review

Bibliographic Data

ID21516240
AuthorsLijian Wu (0000-0003-1685-007X, University of Hong Kong, corresponding author), Mantak Yuen (0000-0001-7785-9209, University of Hong Kong, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume54
Issue2
Pages242-258
Publication date2026-03-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Guidance and Counselling (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0306-9885 • E-ISSN: 1469-3534
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03069885.2024.2449013
OpenAlexW4410142305
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited48

Laughter holds intrinsic value as an accessible component of therapies to address mental health issues, including stress, anxiety and depression. This meta-analysis examined the effects of laughter therapies on students' mental health by synthesising nine studies with 17 effect sizes, employing a robust variance estimation method. The findings revealed that laughter therapies or interventions had a significant medium effect on improving students' mental health (effect size Hedges' g = 0.774). Subgroup analyses further demonstrated varying effect sizes for laughter therapies that addressed students' stress levels, anxiety and depression, respectively. Moreover, moderator analyses found that the duration of the therapy was a significant moderator affecting outcomes, but types of laughter, type of practitioners and gender of participants were not significant moderators. This study enhances the understanding of laughter-based interventions and their effectiveness in supporting students' mental health and well-being. Implications for future research and practical applications in educational settings are briefly discussed

Laughter · Mental health · Meta-analysis · Psychotherapist · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Education Practices and Challenges · Humor Studies and Applications · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Internal Medicine

Tools

Open DOI