AIM: To evaluate the effect of an 8-week humour intervention programme on reducing depression and anxiety and improving subjective well-being, cognitive function and sleep quality in nursing home residents. DESIGN: A single-blinded and quasi-experimental design with repeated measures. METHODS:Seventy-four older adults were recruited from May 2018-September 2018, with 37 older adults in the humour group receivedhumour intervention and 37 in the control group received no intervention. The intervention was an 8-week humour intervention programme for older adults to learn to use humour and release their emotions. Primary outcomes include depression, anxiety and subjective well-being and secondary outcomes were cognitive function and sleep quality. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the differences of outcome measures between the two groups. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 8 and 16 weeks. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups at baseline. The adherence to the sessions of humour intervention over the 8-weeks was 97.6%. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant improvement in depression, anxiety, subjective well-being and sleep quality during the postintervention (8 weeks) and follow-up (16 weeks) periods in the humour group versus the control group. However, a significant time × group interaction for cognitive function was only found during postintervention. CONCLUSION: The humour intervention programme was effective in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms and increasing subjective well-being, cognitive function and sleep quality in older adults. IMPACT: Physical and mental health problems are common among older adults in nursing homes. The study demonstrated that humour intervention has feasibility and potential to be used as an effective non-pharmacological intervention in improving well-beings of Chinese nursing home residents. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1800016148.
RCT Entities:
AIM: To evaluate the effect of an 8-week humour intervention programme on reducing depression and anxiety and improving subjective well-being, cognitive function and sleep quality in nursing home residents. DESIGN: A single-blinded and quasi-experimental design with repeated measures. METHODS: Seventy-four older adults were recruited from May 2018-September 2018, with 37 older adults in the humour group received humour intervention and 37 in the control group received no intervention. The intervention was an 8-week humour intervention programme for older adults to learn to use humour and release their emotions. Primary outcomes include depression, anxiety and subjective well-being and secondary outcomes were cognitive function and sleep quality. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare the differences of outcome measures between the two groups. Outcomes were measured at baseline, 8 and 16 weeks. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups at baseline. The adherence to the sessions of humour intervention over the 8-weeks was 97.6%. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant improvement in depression, anxiety, subjective well-being and sleep quality during the postintervention (8 weeks) and follow-up (16 weeks) periods in the humour group versus the control group. However, a significant time × group interaction for cognitive function was only found during postintervention. CONCLUSION: The humour intervention programme was effective in reducing depression and anxiety symptoms and increasing subjective well-being, cognitive function and sleep quality in older adults. IMPACT: Physical and mental health problems are common among older adults in nursing homes. The study demonstrated that humour intervention has feasibility and potential to be used as an effective non-pharmacological intervention in improving well-beings of Chinese nursing home residents. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR1800016148.