Humor and Health

Take the edge off depression with humor

Depression affects thousands of people. Humor can help reduce the stress of dealing with this systemic disease.

Sure, laughter makes you feel good in the moment. But can it actually improve your health? Psychology Today investigates.

Humor in therapy: cognitive-behavioral therapy and the strategic use of humor
Post-traumatic growth and humor: real-life examples of people who’ve used humor after setbacks
Humor and resilience: research on how humor builds emotional flexibility and bounce-back ability
Dark humor and gallows humor: when is it healthy, and when is it a red flag?
Laughter in the face of adversity: how people use humor to deal with trauma, grief, or illness
Humor styles and personality: are some people naturally funnier? Can you develop your “humor muscles”?
AI and the punchline: can machines really be funny?
Types of humor and mental health: what’s your laugh style?
The psychology of humor: why we laugh, and what it says about us
Why “weird” science saves lives: in defense of the NIH
Belief and the brain: why we cling, why we resist, and how humor helps
The science of laughter and why your brain loves a good giggle
Laughter is good medicine—but making people laugh might be even better
Bonnie the Beagle vanishes—then comes home with a prize ribbon from a dog show
What Kodak’s digital camera teaches us about fear of change