Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sometimes Laughter Is The Best Medicine: Stand-Up Comedy, Humor, And Healthcare, Haran Mennillo

Senior Honors Projects

While for many healthcare is no laughing matter, humor can be a valuable tool for physicians. Hospitals and other healthcare environments can be very stressful places for patients, many of whom are having the worst day of their lives. Humor is an excellent medium through which doctors can connect with their patients, improving the doctor-patient relationship. Patients will often use humor as a way to cope with their stress, and doctors with a sense of humor are able to better connect with their patients. This use of humor has many applications across different fields of medicine, including pediatrics, oncology, palliative …