Laughter is the Best Medicine – What is the evidence?

First, let’s look at what laughter is. Laughter is a universal human behaviour. It is present in all cultures and humans are hard-wired in evolutionary terms to share laughter. It has been described as a social emotion and it is most common for people to laugh when they are together. When you ask people when they laugh, often they will say they laugh at jokes or when they find something funny. In fact, research has shown that we laugh most, not at something, but when we are with people in social situations.

The next question is what is medicine? Medicine is changing. Historically it has been about the treatment of disease and over time it is changing to focus more on the prevention of disease and the promotion of living in better health. Over the past few decades medical advances have been astonishing. One example is the medical management of AIDS, which now allows people who are HIV positive, with the correct medication and medical management, to live much longer and more comfortable lives. 

Laughter research is not easy. Getting people to laugh is not simple. Studies have used cartoons, television programmes, and video clips to encourage people to laugh. Also some study has been undertaken with participants laughing simply for the fun of it. As with many common behaviours, such as walking, when you ask people to do them in a laboratory or study setting, they change. They are taken out of context and loose spontaneity. The research around laughter is in its infancy and the subject is just becoming a topic for serious scientific study. 

Laughter as a tool for improving mental health

There is some evidence that laughter is helpful in improving depression, anxiety and reducing loneliness. Studies have been undertaken in various groups from people undergoing chemotherapy and dialysis to people living in care homes and nursing students. Questions which have not been answered include what dose is required to have an effect. What is clear is that laughter is a readily available resource which may be helpful for people to have in their mental health toolkit.

How laughter may help coping with stress

In a study undertaken on laughter club participants who met once a month for one hour, participants reported that laughter provided them with, what they described as, an inoculation against stress. Interestingly they used laughter in various ways in their lives to cope with stressful situations. One participant said that she had laughter in her drawer at work and when she felt she was becoming stressed, she simply opened the drawer, had a good belly laugh and felt the better for it.

The physiological effects of laughter

Laughter disrupts the normal breathing pattern and makes us breathe out of our lungs stale air which might otherwise sit festering. It forces us to take in fresh air and more air than we would if we weren’t laughing. In this way it gives us more oxygen which gives our respiratory system a boost.  

Having a good belly laugh exercises the tummy muscles. One research study looked at the electrical activity in the tummy and back muscles during long and hearty laughter and found that this produced as strong muscular activation as doing a sit up. So, the good news is that laughter can be a powerful abdominal activation exercise, and that it doesn’t require a trip to the gym.

Another thing that laughter has a strong positive effect on is mood. Laughing makes us feel good, in a similar way to a runner’s high. It’s also difficult to think about things we normally worry about when we are lost in laughter. Having a good laugh throws out the negative and brings in the positive.

Finally, a study of people who had recently lost their spouse showed that when laughter was used as a coping strategy the bereaved suffered significantly less depression than those who were categorised as non-laughers.

So, there is some emerging evidence that laughter is good medicine. Arguably because of the fact that it is fun, leaves a good taste and doesn’t have any negative side-effects, it may indeed be a natural contender in the “best medicine” category.

Wishing you a Happy New Year, lightened with laughter.

Anna