title: [Health and sense of humour: morbidity].
abstract: Three components may be identified in the sense of humour: A cognitive, social and an affective. The cognitive factor appears to be most important for health outcome parameters. Studies of small samples in a laboratory context as well large-scale population samples have failed to prove a simple and direct effect of sense of humour on health. More success has been achieved in studies of persons exposed to real life stressors. Sense of humour appears to be a buffer against stress-related morbidity, and the mechanisms may be aspects of the immune function and pain-modulating mechanisms of the brain.
authors.affiliation: Institutt for Nevromedisin, Nevro øst, 3. sal, Norges Teknisknaturvitenskapelige Universitet,, NO-7489 Trondheim, Norge. sven.svebak@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Svebak
mesh_terms: D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic