Communication of Humor During Bereavement: Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Emotion Management Strategies

Some people cope more effectively with grief than others. This study examined how the communication of humor plays a role in managing emotions and physical symptoms related to bereavement. Results from 484 individuals who had experienced the death of a loved one reveal that predispositional humor production is associated with greater coping efficacy, reduced incidence of negative physical and emotional symptoms, and, overall, aids individuals in functioning during grief. Differential patterns of humor pertaining to the specific death context (appropriateness of humor/avoiding censure) predicted poorer coping and negative symptoms. There were also important male-female differences with men scoring higher on humor enactment, coping efficacy, and lower on negative feelings and symptoms compared to women.