Mitigating depression through yoga and laughter therapy: An interventional study among college students in Jaipur

Depression among college students is a growing mental health concern globally and in India, with academic pressures, social transitions, and career uncertainties contributing significantly to emotional distress. In Jaipur, studies indicate that nearly 48.5% of students experience moderate to severe depressive symptoms, highlighting an urgent need for accessible, non-pharmacological interventions. Yoga and laughter therapy have independently demonstrated effectiveness in reducing depression, yet evidence on their combined impact in Indian college populations remains limited. This study addresses this gap by examining the synergistic effect of these interventions on student mental health. The primary objectives were to assess baseline depression levels, evaluate the effectiveness of a combined yoga and laughter therapy intervention, examine differential effects by gender and baseline severity, and determine the association of session attendance with outcomes. A pre–post intervention study design was adopted involving 100 college students in Jaipur. Depression was measured using the PHQ-9 scale at baseline and after a 6-week intervention program consisting of structured yoga and laughter therapy sessions. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, ANOVA, and correlation analyses were used to evaluate the outcomes. Results revealed a significant reduction in depression scores (pre-test mean = 14.2, post-test mean = 8.7, p < 0.001), supporting the hypothesis that the combined intervention effectively reduces depressive symptoms. Females showed slightly higher reductions than males, although the difference was not statistically significant, indicating broad efficacy across genders. Students with higher baseline depression severity experienced greater absolute improvement, and attendance positively correlated with outcome magnitude (r = 0.45, p < 0.001). The study concludes that combined yoga and laughter therapy is a feasible and effective approach to mitigating depression among college students. Future research should explore long-term effects, larger multi-institutional samples, and controlled trials to strengthen evidence for policy integration and student well-being programs.