title: [Humor as an additional component of psychological and psychiatric diagnostics in children and adolescents: concept of a humor-diagnostic model].
abstract: When looking at humor of children and adolescents from a diagnostic point of view, there exist additional diagnostic possibilities other than the usual assessment methods from child and adolescent psychiatry or psychology. Spontaneous humorous behavior in everyday life and a humorous performance during assessment situations of children can provide a useful basis for further diagnostic considerations. From a developmental point of view it is important to notice what kinds of humor a child is already capable of understanding and of performing towards others. Whilst the actual readiness for cheerfulness contains information concerning the emotional state, the more general readiness for being cheerful renders insight into basic parameters of temperament. To what extent a child uses humor either supportively or destructively, contains information about psychodynamic connections, motivational aspects and active coping strategies. Concerning the diagnostic approach, reports of parents as well as humor tests or hypothesizing methods (e.g. humorous drawings) can be used. Central in using humor as a diagnostic assessment device is the knowledge of humor development and of the relations between psychiatric illnesses and humor.
authors.affiliation: Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrische Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik, Basel. Joachim.Schreiner@unibas.ch
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schreiner
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010553:Personality Development; D011574:Psychoanalytic Theory; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D013694:Temperament; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic