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A Literature Review of Humor's Potential Therapeutic Value In University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Psychological Science Theses 5-2017 Humor in Medicine: A Literature Review of Humor’s Potential Therapeutic Value in Health Care Weston Michael Grant University of Arkansas Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/psycuht Part of the Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons, Anatomy Commons, Biological Psychology Commons, Child Psychology Commons, Community Health Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Health Psychology Commons, Interprofessional Education Commons, Medical Humanities Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Physiological Processes Commons, Preventive Medicine Commons, and the Psychiatry and Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Grant, Weston Michael, "Humor in Medicine: A Literature Review of Humor’s Potential Therapeutic Value in Health Care" (2017). Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses. 11. http://scholarworks.uark.edu/psycuht/11 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Psychological Science at ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Running Head: HUMOR IN MEDICINE: A LITERATURE REVIEW Humor in Medicine: A Literature Review of Humor’s Potential Therapeutic Value in Health Care An Honors Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of Honors Studies in Psychology and Biology By Weston Michael Grant Dr. Brenda Zies Spring 2017 Psychology and Biology J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences The University of Arkansas HUMOR IN MEDICINE: A LITERATURE REVIEW 2 Abstract Using humor and laughter within the health care field has the potential to be relevant to patients during treatment, to the patient-caregiver relationship, to the subjective well-being of health care providers, and to the environments’ (e.g., work settings) impact on group relationships (e.g., colleagues). A review of the literature examines how the psychological and physiological effects of laughter and humor within the human body impact health and well-being, how humor and laughter improve the patient-practitioner relationship, and if humor and laughter can potentially impact physician burnout. Several possible implications for these findings are discussed, such as professional medical comedians, improvements to medical education, and a theoretical technological application. HUMOR IN MEDICINE: A LITERATURE REVIEW 3 Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank my parents for always supporting and encouraging me. Thank you, Mom, for giving me the opportunity to attend the University of Arkansas and always encouraging me, no matter how stressed I got. Thank you, Dad, for the countless discussions and debates that helped focus my attention on this specific topic. Thank you, Nicole, for being willing to edit my work and providing insightful thoughts and ideas. Secondly, I would like to thank Dr. Brenda Zies for being my thesis advisor and mentor throughout this process. Thank you, for encouraging me to find a topic that I was passionate about, even it meant more work for the both of us. I could not have accomplished this, nor found a new passion for research, without your help. Thank you, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to edit all my grammar mistakes and citation errors. You were the first mentor that did not tell me no and you gave me a chance to follow what I am so passionate about. So, thank you so, so much. Lastly, I would like to thank the Honors Committee members for taking the time to serve on my committee. I am very fortunate to have each member of this committee and the unique insight each of you brings. I would also like to acknowledge the Honors College and the University of Arkansas for giving me the opportunity as an undergraduate student to examine a topic about which I am truly so passionate about. Wooo Pig! HUMOR IN MEDICINE: A LITERATURE REVIEW 4 Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements..............................................................................................................3 Introduction..........................................................................................................................6 What is humor? ..............................................................................................................8 What is laughter? ......................................................................................................... 11 Value of Humor.............................................................................................................13 Purpose..........................................................................................................................17 Possible Psychophysiological Benefits..............................................................................17 Cardiovascular System..................................................................................................17 Respiratory and Muscular System................................................................................ 19 Stress and Immune System............................................................................................22 Laugher as Exercise.......................................................................................................26 Humor and Pain.............................................................................................................29 Short-term Memory.......................................................................................................34 Depression.....................................................................................................................36 Empathy.........................................................................................................................40 Anxiety, Children, and Clowns ....................................................................................44 Humor and the Quality of Care..........................................................................................63 Patient-Practitioner Relationship...................................................................................63 Communication and the Patient-Practitioner Relationship...........................................69 Humor’s Role in the Patient-Practitioner Relationship.................................................71 Patient-Centered Care....................................................................................................80 HUMOR IN MEDICINE: A LITERATURE REVIEW 5 Humor and Laughter’s Role in Patient-Centered Care.................................................83 The Therapeutic Value of Humor and Laughter for Physician Burnout...........................86 Defining Physician Burnout..........................................................................................86 Prevalence of Physician Burnout..................................................................................88 Therapeutic Intervention for Health Care Practitioner Burnout....................................91 Discussion..........................................................................................................................99 Summary.......................................................................................................................99 Limitations and Challenges in the Current Research..................................................101 Professional Medical Comedians................................................................................103 Medical Education.......................................................................................................108 Technological Application..........................................................................................112 References........................................................................................................................116 HUMOR IN MEDICINE: A LITERATURE REVIEW 6 Introduction “‘Do you know the name of the person who invented hospital gowns? Seymour Heinies!’” (Wanzer, Booth-Butterfield, & Booth-Butterfield, 2005, p. 119). A good joke can go a long way in bringing joy to those around. It is commonly understood that laughing feels good, and that it can bring a sense of happiness and enjoyment to an individual or group. Sometimes laughter almost feels therapeutic in certain situations that a person may face. As the adage goes “laughter is the best medicine”, or so it seems. Could laughter actually be medically therapeutic? Could an individual help his or her emotional and physical state just by laughing? In 1998, a movie was released that brought these questions into the public spot light. Patch Adams (Farrell & Shadyac, 1998) was based on a true story that explored the world of medicine through the eyes of a medical student who saw things differently. Patch Adams, (played by Robin Williams), experienced depression and suicidal tendencies early in his life that caused him to learn how to find joy and happiness in life. Patch decided he wanted to become a physician so he could heal others that were suffering just as he had. When Patch got to medical school, he noticed that the medical school professors taught
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