The purpose and function of humour in health, health care and nursing: a narrative review.
OBJECTIVE
This paper is a report of a review conducted to identify, critically analyse and synthesize the humour literature across a number of fields related to health, health care and nursing.


BACKGROUND
The humour-health hypothesis suggests that there is a positive link between humour and health. Humour has been a focus of much contention and deliberation for centuries, with three theories dominating the field: the superiority or tendentious theory, the incongruity theory and the relief theory.


METHODS
A comprehensive literature search was carried out in January 2007 using a number of databases, keywords, manual recursive searching and journal alerts (January 1980-2007) cross-referenced with the bibliographic databases of the International Society of Humor Studies. An inclusion and exclusion criterion was identified.


METHODS
A narrative review of evidence- and non-evidence-based papers was conducted, using a relevant methodological framework with additional scrutiny of secondary data sources in the latter. Humour theories, incorporating definition, process and impact constituted a significant part of the appraisal process.


RESULTS
A total of 1630 papers were identified, with 220 fully sourced and 88 included in the final review. There is a dearth of humour research within nursing yet, ironically, an abundance of non-evidence-based opinion citing prerequisites and exclusion zones. Examination of physician-patient interaction and the humour-health hypothesis demonstrates that use of humour by patients is both challenging and revealing, particularly with regard to self-deprecating humour.


CONCLUSIONS
Nurses and nursing should adopt a circumspect and evidenced-based approach to humour use in their work.
McCreaddie
May
M
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. May.McCreaddie@ed.ac.uk
Wiggins
Sally
S
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000523:psychology*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter / Q000523:psychology*; D027641:Laughter Therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic