Effects of laughter therapy in patients with cancer: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials.

Complement Ther MedJun 24, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchOncology (Medical)

Fritzi Pilar Villalba-Ugarte, Raúl H Sandoval-Ato, Jamee Guerra Valencia et al.

✦ AI-curated · Sources linked

In 30 seconds

This systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluated the effects of laughter therapy in 1127 cancer patients. The findings suggest that laughter therapy probably leads to a significant reduction in anxiety (SMD: -0.54, 95% CI: -0.84 to -0.24) and may reduce pain and stress, although evidence for other outcomes remains uncertain.

Key findings

  • Laughter therapy probably reduces anxiety with a standardized mean difference of -0.54.
  • It probably results in little to no difference in quality of life (MD: -0.65).
  • Laughter therapy may lead to an important reduction in pain and stress.
  • Evidence regarding depressive symptoms and fatigue is very uncertain.

Why it matters

Understanding the potential benefits of non-pharmacological interventions like laughter therapy can help clinicians support cancer patients' psychological well-being and improve their overall treatment experience.

What to keep in mind

The review notes limitations related to risk of bias, heterogeneity among interventions, and imprecision due to small sample sizes.

Source

PubMed · PMID 42342085

Published in Complement Ther Med. This summary was written by xxcode from the publication's abstract and metadata. It is not peer reviewed and is not a substitute for the original article. For clinical decisions, review the original publication.

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AI-generated summaries may contain errors or omissions. Verify clinically important information with the original publication.

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