Introduction
anxiety, coronavirus infectious disease, infection, depression, humor
INFECTION
The emergence of the novel coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) has put the health and life quality of the global populace at risk. The fear of infection, coupled with prolonged isolation because of quarantine restrictions and social distancing mandates led to a range of detrimental outcomes, including financial instability [In these challenging times, the female gender has been identified as more susceptible to mental health issues, as many COVID-19 stressors were related with their reproductive functioning [In South Korea, the burden of child-care caused by school closures and a reduction in child-care services increased significantly during the pandemic; however, while paternal responsibility increased from 3.6% to 7.5%, maternal responsibility increased more substantially, from 29.2% to 36.8% [However, delivering interventions to alleviate psychological stress during the pandemic proved challenging because of the strict social distancing measures implemented in most countries. Nevertheless, owing to the pressing need for strategies to address mental health emergencies, several web-based psychotherapeutic interventions were developed for vulnerable populations to use while maintaining social distancing. This population included COVID-19 patients [Laughter is believed to be more than a mere response to humor; it holds potential benefits for both physiological and psychological functions. These benefits include decreased stress hormones; enhanced immune system function; reduced perceived stress, anxiety, and depression; and improved self-esteem, cognitive functions, and quality of life [Traditionally, LT has been conducted through face-to-face interactions. However, the current pandemic has prompted the introduction of non-face-to-face LT, facilitated via online platforms. Given its advantages of being non-pharmacological and more readily acceptable to various populations compared to other psychotherapies [However, during the pandemic, the application of LT has been primarily limited to specific populations, particularly nursing students [In this study, we developed and implemented a distance laughter therapy (DLT) program targeting mothers with young children during the pandemic, facilitated via Zoom (H1-1: DLT will decrease depression levels in the experimental group post-intervention.H1-2: Compared to those in the control group, the depression levels in the experimental group will decrease post-intervention.H2-1: DLT will decrease the anxiety levels in the experimental group post-intervention.H2-2: Compared to those in the control group, the anxiety levels in the experimental group will decrease post-intervention.H3-1: DLT will decrease parenting stress levels in the experimental group post-intervention.H3-2: Compared to those in the control group, the parenting stress levels in the experimental group will decrease post-intervention.