The therapeutic use of humor for psychiatric disturbances of adolescents and adults - PubMed (original) (raw)

Review

. 1990 Winter;61(4):261-72.

doi: 10.1007/BF01064866.

Affiliations

Review

The therapeutic use of humor for psychiatric disturbances of adolescents and adults

B Saper. Psychiatr Q. 1990 Winter.

Abstract

The use of humor in psychiatric care and treatment is examined within a life-span-development context, comparing its utility in late adolescence with that in early adulthood. The literature of the past two decades, based on careful experimental research as well as on more subjective clinical experience, tend to support the following conclusions: A well-developed sense of humor provides a beneficial ingredient to the patient's coping or adjustive ability. The salutary physiological effects of laughter are the same for adolescents and adults. In terms of psychosocial factors, individual rather than developmental stage differences in the patient's personality, psychopathology and humor preference will alter the effectiveness of humor application. According to a cognitive-behavioral analysis, the mechanism by which positive emotions (including laughter) operate to reduce or eliminate the undesirable negative emotions resides in the interplay of the physiological and psychological processes involved in the stress reaction and its management. Finally, to be optimally effective the psychiatrist should undertake formal training in the use of humor techniques comparable to the traditional training in the usual assessment and therapeutic procedures.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Int J Psychiatry Med. 1988;18(2):93-105 - PubMed
    1. Psychosom Med. 1965 Jan-Feb;27:80-5 - PubMed
    1. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1987 May;52(5):988-93 - PubMed
    1. J Human Stress. 1985 Summer;11(2):52-9 - PubMed
    1. Psychosom Med. 1984 Jan-Feb;46(1):7-14 - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources