Physiological Advantages of Laughter - Case Study Example

Therapeutic Value of Laughter

A genuine outburst of belly laughter is one of the most satisfying feelings. Deep-rooted laugh has an ideal way of bringing people together and establishing excellent social connections. Moreover, anything from slight giggles to side-splitting guffaws can influence a positive variation of a room's atmosphere by promoting a friendly and family-like atmosphere. Laughter also becomes critical in instances involving stressful circumstances for kids, families, students, or professionals. Laughter is ubiquitously acknowledged and shared by all global communities and individuals. As such, it can serve a significant therapeutic value devoid of negative side impacts. Again, it is a credible therapy for physiological and psychotherapeutic purposes that improve mental and overall wellbeing. This paper explores the mechanisms of action related to laughter and the subsequent positive physiological and psychological benefits.

Mechanism of Action

When exploring the therapeutic effectiveness of laughter, it is important to focus on four critical mechanisms of action that relate to the straightforward of indirect health benefits. The first mechanism revolves around the potential direct influence of laughter on physiological variations within muscular, cardiovascular, immunity, and neuroendocrine systems, which could have enduring positive effects. The second aspect entail the impact of laughter in propelling a positive emotional state. According to Dunbar et al. (2012), it not only improves the quality of life but also deters the development of depressive mental symptoms. However, other emotional triggers like humor and love can elicit a similar positive emotional effect. Laughter could possess a potential direct impact on improved subjective wellbeing as people age. Thirdly, laughter could present a credible approach for addressing individual stress and fortifying pain tolerance, and thus, mitigating any adverse effects on health from routine stressors and pain (Dunbar et al., 2012). The stress-moderator model backs this perspective upholding that laughter offers indirect positive impacts during stressful situations. As such this benefit one's mental and physical health. The last mechanism of action entails the potential of laughter indirectly improving an individual's social competencies that may lead to better interpersonal communication and improved management of relationships (Caruana, 2017). Interpersonal relationships and subsequent effective interactions could also serve potential therapeutic purposes as they act as stress buffers.

Physiological Advantages of Laughter

Laughter has positive physiological impacts, especially within muscular, CNS, and cardiovascular systems. The beneficial physiological aspects can be categorized into the following functions, exercising and relaxing muscles, improving respiratory processes, stimulating circulation, decreasing stress hormones, boosting the immune system, elevating pain thresholds and tolerance, and enhancing psychological functions. In the case of muscle relaxation, laughter influences H-reflex depression, which leads to muscle tone relaxation. Laughter increases heart rates and improves respiratory processes. In this context, it leads to direct enhancement in heart rates, respiration, and oxygen consumption levels. Such processes guarantee an improvement in oxygen saturation level. Systolic blood pressure is also influenced by laughter. A study done by Mora-Ripoll (2018) shows that laughter has a direct association with 10 to 20% in EE and heart rate elevation, which improves health. Cardiovascular performance is enhanced through laughter as it leads to an increase in stroke volume and cardiac output. At the same time, laughter influences a decrease of arterial-venous oxygen differences and mitigates systemic vascular resistance. Laughter rooted in cinematic views improves endothelial-reliant vasodilating. According to Mora-Ripoll (2018), cardiovascular performance is also enhanced through the reduction in serum cortisol and plasma von Willebrand factors triggered by laughter, leading to a significant reduction of aortic arduousness and wave reflection. There is a notable opposite link between propensities of laughter and coronary heart ailments. Laughter influences minimal arrhythmias and recurrence of myocardial infarctions. A study explored by Mora-Ripoll (2010) determines a minimal prevalence of myocardial infarctions among at-risk diabetic individuals. Laughter is also beneficial to asthmatic patients as it is noted to reduce bronchial responsiveness and a similar effect in hyperinflation in contexts of acute COPD patients. Beneficial hormonal effects are identified in new mothers as well. For example, laughter enhances beta-endorphins and melatonin, where the latter becomes critical in elevating the production of breast-milk. Mora-Ripoll (2010) identifies that laughter reduces pain tolerance, helping individuals dealing with rheumatoid arthritis whereby their bodies experience a fall in serum proinflammatory cytokine levels. Benefits on type 2 diabetes individuals is also notable as it leads to inhibitory impacts on the rise of postprandial blood glucose quantity while influencing expressive gene profiles within peripheral blood leukocytes (Mora-Ripoll, 2010). Laughing also mitigates the potential microvascular complexities arising from diabetes.

Psychological Advantages of Laughing

Laughing is directly or indirectly linked to various psychological impacts, which advances coping mechanisms and improves interpersonal associations. The different psychological advantages can be summarized into functions relating to reducing stresses, anxieties, and tensions, and counteracting depressive symptoms. Another core function entails elevating moods, hopefulness, and self-esteem (Manninen et al., 2017). Improving memory and problem-solving competencies is another core function. Social benefits are evident in cases where laughter improves inter-personal interactions and close bonds. In professional and casual contexts, laughing improves on friendly atmospheres, which can be critical in establishing group identities, solidarities, and cohesion. The following advantageous psychological benefits enhance the quality of life.

When assessing the impact on mood and depressive symptoms, it is significant to recognize that laughter triggers improved positive effects, which moderate stresses in healthy individuals. Such processes are also essential in countering anxieties. Laughter also influences positive impacts on psychotic symptoms (Yim, 2016). For example, laughter interventions among people dealing with schizophrenia can reduce hostility and depressions while expressing social support that also lowers psychopathology levels (Mora-Ripoll, 2011). Applicability of laughter in improving social competencies is that it enhances coping mechanisms as people exhibit optimism and positive emotions. Such benefits mean that laughter can be advocated for as a credible therapeutic approach in cases of behavioral therapy. Laughing could also be a critical approach psychotherapy and group therapies. A study by Mora-Ripoll (2010) establishes that conversational laughing help to prevent risks of confrontations in cases of addiction group therapies. Also, humor desensitization plays a critical role in reducing fear. Lastly, the most vital benefit of laughter entails the improvement of quality of life. It improves physiological and psychological wellness in individuals under clinical care or even in day-to-day living.

Application of Therapeutic Laughter

The various benefits of laughter continue to influence different interventions in clinical settings. For example, the ability of laughter to improve moods and counter depressive psychological processes is a core factor that has influenced the introduction of clown care units (CCU) in medical institutions. Hospital administrations involve clowns who engage in clinical rotations influencing humor and laughter to patients. Laughter mobiles are also becoming prevalent in healthcare facilities. They entail a cart having items that trigger hilarious encounters that elevate moods. This is essential when fostering friendly social interactions. Laughter yoga has emerged as a credible therapeutic approach to mitigate depressive symptoms (Ripoll & Casado, 2010). The approach could also be applicable in group therapy cases.

In summary, laughter possesses significant physiological, mental, and social advantages. Laughing improves heart and respiration processes that lead to sufficient oxygen consumption and saturation. Again, relaxation is experienced after respiration. Improvement of heart functions is identified as a core benefit that ensures patients experience lower cases of stroke volumes and cardiac-oriented outputs. Muscle relaxation is another vital advantage of laughing as the muscle tones relax considerably. Similar benefits are evident in the contexts of sympathetic nervous systems. In this case, laughing influences control on the role of SNS in increasing blood pressure. Among patients dealing with depressive symptoms, laughing acts as a buffer to stress. There is a positive link between laughter and minimal cases of coronary cardiac conditions, which is evident in cases involving diabetic conditions where myocardial infarctions are reduced (Noureldein & Eid, 2018). In cases of patients who have asthma, laughing reduces bronchial responsiveness, which mitigates the incidence of asthmatic attacks. The ability of laughter to enhance pain tolerance applies suitably in cases involving patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Psychological benefits are also critical as laughter counters depression and anxieties as laughter lower serum cortisol level, which has a considerable influence on stress. Laughing also improves moods and influences the development of tight social bonds. Again, laughter could be used therapeutically to promote social competencies. Therefore, laughter can be recommended as a credible therapeutic approach in clinical settings, group therapy contexts, and home-based care as well.