Effectiveness and feasibility of a humor training in a routine care setting for people suffering from mental disorders

The study tested effectiveness and feasibility of a humor training for members of a community mental health center suffering from schizophrenia, personality disorders, depression, or anxiety. The training group (n=28) was compared to a treatment-as-usual control group (n=26). Outcomes were divided into primary (coping humor and cheerfulness) and secondary ones (well-being, depression, anxiety, and symptomatology), and were assessed prior to and after treatment and at a six-week follow-up. Additionally, gelotophobia was explored as a confounding variable of the training outcome. Linear mixed models showed improvements in coping humor and cheerfulness compared to the control group. However, effects did not remain stable at follow-up, and secondary outcomes were unaffected by the training. Interestingly, people with higher levels in gelotophobia tended to score worse on many outcomes before training. These differences disappeared after completion but recurred in the follow-up. Feedback indicated feasibility of the training within the institution. Summarizing the results, this is one of the first studies that tried to implement humor training in a routine care setting for people with mental disorders. Results are promising, however further research is needed to investigate humor trainings in clinical samples more profoundly.