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Nursing Commons

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Western Kentucky University

Nursing Faculty Publications

Wit and humor in medicine

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Nursing

Humor And Laughter May Influence Health. [Part] I. History And Background, Mary Payne Bennett, Cecile A. Lengacher Jan 2006

Humor And Laughter May Influence Health. [Part] I. History And Background, Mary Payne Bennett, Cecile A. Lengacher

Nursing Faculty Publications

Articles in both the lay and professional literature have extolled the virtues of humor, many giving the mpression that the health benefits of humor are well documented by the scientific and medical community.The concept that humor or laughter can be therapeutic goes back to biblical times and this belief has received varying levels of support from the scientific community at different points in its history. urrent research indicates that using humor is well accepted by the public and is frequently used as a oping mechanism. However, the scientific evidence of the benefits of using humor on various health related outcomes …


Humor And Laughter May Influence Health: [Part] Ii. Complementary Therapies And Humor In A Clinical Population, Mary Payne Bennett, Cecile Lengacher Jan 2006

Humor And Laughter May Influence Health: [Part] Ii. Complementary Therapies And Humor In A Clinical Population, Mary Payne Bennett, Cecile Lengacher

Nursing Faculty Publications

Our results support a connection between sense of humor and self-reported physical health, however, it is difficult to determine the relationship to any specific disease process. Whereas relationships between sense of humor and self-reported measures of physical well-being appear to be supported, more research is required to determine interrelationships between sense of humor and well-being.