title: Effectiveness of the use of humor in the rehabilitation of people with SCI: a pilot study.
abstract: Despite the empirically established beneficial effects of laughter on psychological health, humor remains a much neglected area of research. This study examined the psychological impact of humor on people with SCI, the hypothesis being that it would significantly reduce the deleterious psychological effects of the injury. Mood state, frequency of intrusive thoughts and avoidance behavior of eight male inpatients at the National Spinal Injuries Centre were monitored before and after exposure to a series of five humorous video presentations. Although differences in these parameters were in the predicted direction, statistical analysis revealed no significant effect. Nevertheless, this pilot study highlighted pertinent issues and suggested modifications for further exploration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Stroke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire, England.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Marsh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic