The Active Ingredients in Humor: Psychophysiological Benefits and Risks for Older Adults

Abstract

Humor produces psychological and physiological effects on our body that are similar to the health bene ts of aerobic exercise. These bene ts are some of the best kept secrets from those persons who probably have the most to gain from that information-older adults. Many of them who must live with chronic pain, arthritis, rheumatism, emphysema, memory loss, depression, and stress may be able to cope better with their conditions or nd temporary relief by using humor. This article presents an up-to-date, comprehensive synthesis of 30 years of research evidence on 15 psychophysiologica l bene ts of humor and laughter with their implications for older adults. The speci c risks for this growing segment of the population also are identi ed. Strategies for communicating this information through publications and formal presentation s by health educators working in gerontology are suggested. A curriculum outline is provided for use in developing short, feature presentations or integrating the content into existing exercise and health-related courses and programs. If these efforts are effective, eventually the health bene ts of humor and laughter will be as familiar to our senior citizens as the risk factors associated with heart disease and smoking.Physicians, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other healthcare professionals are increasingly recognizing the therapeutic value of humor (

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