Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER

The Psychological and Physical Benefits of Laughter

Alicia C.R. Melville
Course: PY-201 General Psychology
The International College of the Cayman Islands
Instructor: Ms. Marleine Gagnon
December 11, 2016

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER

The Psychological and Physical Benefits of Laughter

Proverbs 17:22 says that a joyful heart is good medicine. This concept has been shown
to be accurate time and time again. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the
psychological and physical benefits of laughter. In order to facilitate this process, I will review
three scholarly articles from LIRN and summarise the authors findings. I chose this topic
because I have found laughter to be very helpful in overcoming challenges in my life. At the age
of five, I underwent my first surgical procedure. This procedure was to straighten my legs which
were bowed as a result of a condition known as Blounts disease. Laughter, my faith, and a
positive attitude helped me cope with the pain I experienced as a result of the surgeries. My
paper will be divided into three parts: (1) Effect of laughter therapy on happiness and life
satisfaction among elderly, (2) Laughter and stress relief in cancer patients: A pilot study, and
(3) Dealing with life changes: Humour in painful self-disclosures by elderly Japanese women.
I will summarise the findings of each article separately, and then examine their similarities.
Literature Review
Effect of Laughter Therapy on Happiness and Life Satisfaction among Elderly
Human beings go through different stages of growth and development. During these
stages, we undergo "physical, psychological and social transformations" (Deshpande & Verma,
2013, p. 153). Older adults experience very different changes than children do. According to
Deshpande and Verma (2013), retirees often have more leisure time, and can therefore engage in
more of the activities they enjoy (p. 153). Unfortunately, approximately one quarter of the
elderly population in India experience symptoms of depression, perhaps as a result of increased
financial and health challenges (Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p. 153).

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER

The aim of this study by Deshpande and Verma was to examine the impact of laughter
therapy on the perceived happiness and overall well-being of elderly people in Mumbai, India
(Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p. 153). Eighty participants, aged 60 to 75 years, were selected to
participate in the six month study (Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p. 153). Forty of the participants
took part in laughter therapy sessions and the other forty did not (Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p.
153). The authors employed two scales in order to quantify this study: the Satisfaction With
Life Scale (SWLS) and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) (Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p.
153).
Created by Diener, Emmons, Larson, and Griffin, the Satisfaction With Life Scale
(SWLS) allows users to rate how satisfied they are with their lives on a scale of 1 to 7
(Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p. 154). Deshpande and Verma explain that the "Subjective
Happiness Scale (SHS) is a 4-item scale of global subjective happiness" (2013, p. 154). On
average, the participants of the laughter therapy group rated at least two points higher on the
Subjective Happiness Scale than those who did not participate in the laughter therapy sessions
(Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p. 154). Similarly, the laughter therapy participants scored
approximately three points higher on the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) (Deshpande &
Verma, 2013, p. 154).
The authors conclude that laughter therapy allowed the participants to have a greater
sense of wellbeing and happiness than their counterparts (Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p. 155).
Deshpande and Verma also note that their results mirror pre-existing research on how laughter
therapy affects participants (2013, p. 154). Research has indicated that participating in laughter
therapy has a positive impact on the mental and physiological well-being of seniors (Deshpande

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER

& Verma, 2013, p. 154). In conclusion, Deshpande and Verma deem laughter therapy a
particularly effective method of improving psychological and physical ailments (2013, p. 154).
Laughter and Stress Relief in Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study
According to Kim, Kim, and Kim (2015), breast cancer is one of the most frequently
diagnosed cancers amongst South Korean women (p. 1). Although South Korea has an excellent
breast cancer survival rate, several of these patients are plagued by psychological conditions such
as anxiety and depression (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 1). For decades, laughter has been viewed
as an alternative therapy, and numerous countries now have laughter therapy clubs that assist
patients, new mothers, and senior citizens (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 1). Therefore, the authors
decided to explore the effects of a therapeutic laughter program on anxiety, depression, and
stress in breast cancer patients (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 1).
In 2008, the authors carefully selected 62 breast cancer patients to participate in their
study (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 2). Of these participants, 32 patients participated in laughter
therapy sessions and the 30 patients did not (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 1). In order to quantify
their results, the authors selected a rating scale from 0 to 10 for the active participants to express
their feelings before and after laughter therapy (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 2). Kim, Kim, and
Kim found that participants reported that they felt less anxiety, depression, and stress after their
laughter therapy sessions (2015, p. 2). Also, the benefits increased when the patients attended
sessions more frequently (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 2).
The results of this study indicate that a therapeutic laughter programme was extremely
successful in decreasing the feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression in breast cancer patients,
even after only one session (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 4). The authors conclude that

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER

therapeutic laughter programmes should be used to complement traditional forms of treatment

(Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 4).
Dealing with Life Changes: Humour in Painful Self-Disclosures by Elderly Japanese
Women
Analogous to the findings of Deshpande and Verma (2013), Matsumoto states that the
"physical and social changes" that senior citizens face may lead to discouragement (Matsumoto,
2009, p. 929). Matsumoto notes that in Japan, elderly women often employ humour to discuss
some of the negative changes they encounter (Matsumoto, 2009, p. 929-930). Subsequent to this
observation, Matsumoto conducted a study to examine how elderly Japanese women utilised
humour and laughter to cope with sharing painful memories in various conversations known as
painful self-disclosure (2009, p. 929). Matsumoto notes that a similar study conducted by
Coupland, Coupland, and Giles in 1991 showed that in conversations between people of various
age groups, approximately 83% of conversations involved painful self-disclosure (2009, p. 929).
While conducting this study, Matsumoto discovered a significant difference from the
findings of Coupland, Coupland, and Giles: instead of a negative tone, the painful selfdisclosures of Matsumoto's participants possessed a humorous tone (2009, p. 931). The
conversations recorded by Matsumoto were primarily accounts of the deaths and or illnesses of
the speakers' husbands (2009, p. 931). In conversing with their peers and the young researcher,
the women, who were in their seventies and eighties, did not use humour when initially
broaching serious topics (Matsumoto, 2009, p. 931). The participants employed humour when
recounting the situations in more detail while relying heavily on the interaction and responses of
the other participants (Matsumoto, 2009, p. 934).

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER

Matsumoto concluded that finding a way to laugh about painful experiences, such as the
death of a loved one, may aid these women regain a sense of normalcy (2009, p. 939). The
efficiency of humorous painful self-disclosures relies on factors such as the culture, personalities,
and personal histories of the participants (Matsumoto, 2009, p. 947). Additionally, Matsumoto
hypothesises that such painful self-disclosures may change how the challenges elderly people
face are perceived (2009, p. 948).
Conclusion
In this paper, I read and reviewed three articles: Effect of Laughter Therapy on Happiness
and Life Satisfaction among Elderly, Laughter and Stress Relief in Cancer Patients: A Pilot
Study, and Dealing with Life Changes: Humour in Painful Self-Disclosures by Elderly Japanese
Women. All three of these articles report that laughter and laughter therapy have numerous
physical and psychological benefits. The study conducted by Deshpande and Verma revealed
that laughter therapy assisted elderly people in India by providing them with increased feelings
of happiness and satisfaction with their lives (Deshpande & Verma, 2013, p. 154). The study
conducted by Kim, Kim, and Kim highlighted the fact that breast cancer patients in South Korea
reported feeling less stressed, anxious, and depressed after participating in a laughter therapy
programme (Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015, p. 4). Finally, Matsumotos study observed the way
elderly Japanese women engaged in humorous painful self-disclosures to cope with challenging
situations (Matsumoto, 2009, p. 939).
I found the results of these studies to be extremely fascinating. Throughout my own life, I
have used laughter and humour to cope with difficult situations, and these studies have solidified
my belief that there are numerous benefits to laughter and humour. I found it particularly
interesting that although these studies took place in three different countries, the results were

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER

almost identical: laughter can improve peoples overall well-being by reducing feelings of
anxiety, stress, and depression in a variety of situations. It has been an enlightening experience to
write this literature review, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to do so.

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF LAUGHTER

References
Deshpande, A. & Verma, V. (2013). Effect of laughter therapy on happiness and life satisfaction
among elderly. Indian Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(1), 153-155.
Kim, S. H., Kim, Y. H., & Kim, H. J. (2015). Laughter and stress relief in cancer patients: A
pilot study. Evidence - Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. doi:
10.1155/2015/864739
Matsumoto, Y. (2009). Dealing with life changes: Humour in painful self-disclosures by elderly
Japanese women. Ageing and Society, 29(6), 929-952. doi:
10.1017/S0144686X0900885X