Also known as: laughter therapy, humor therapy, laughter yoga
Latest evidence update: 2026-03-31
Strongest in Consistency (94). Held back by Recency (55).
Solid mix of RCTs with some methodological gaps.
Good cross-study replication, some imprecision.
Tens of thousands of participants pooled across studies.
Studies agree on direction of effect.
Evidence base skews older; field may have moved on.
Areas where research points to a consistent direction of effect. The strength of evidence is graded; the size of the effect is not quantified.
Intentional laughter and humor engagement reduce cortisol, boost natural killer cell activity, and improve cardiovascular function. Laughter yoga combines laughter exercises with yogic breathing for structured practice.
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Laughter therapy effectively improves depression symptoms in cancer patients.
Clown therapy produced a moderate effect on pain relief in pediatric patients.
Laughter therapy decreases anxiety levels compared to control.
Laughter yoga is the most effective intervention for reducing stress in nursing students compared with standard care.
Professional laughter therapy sessions administered by trained therapists reduce cortisol levels.