Observations placeholder
Cancer and the healing effect of laughter
Identifier
000581
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
There is a positive correlation between humour and comfort levels in patients with cancer. Humour has been used for relaxation and as a coping mechanism . The paper below is but one of many that describes this link.
A description of the experience
East Asian Arch Psychiatry 2011 Jun;21(2):44-51. Coping styles in patients with haematological cancer in a Malaysian hospital. Priscilla D, Hamidin A, Azhar MZ, Noorjan KO, Salmiah MS, Bahariah K. Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.
OBJECTIVE:
To assess coping styles of haematological cancer patients and investigate factors (major depressive disorders, socio-demographic profiles and clinical factors) that influence them.
METHODS:
This was a cross-sectional study conducted at the Ampang Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is a tertiary referral centre for haematological diseases. In all, 105 patients with haematological cancer were assessed using the Brief COPE questionnaire to examine the coping styles of patients, and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview to assess major depressive disorder.
RESULTS:
The response rate was 83%. The coping strategies used by haematological cancer patients in descending order of frequency were: behavioural disengagement, active coping, denial, venting, self-distraction, substance use, acceptance, humour, use of emotional support, use of instrumental support, religion, positive reframing, planning, and self-blame. The coping styles were found to be associated with major depressive disorder, socio-demographic profiles, and clinical factors. Self-distraction and positive reframing coping styles were significant predictors and related to major depressive disorder.
CONCLUSION:
The early identification of poor coping styles in cancer patients is important, in order to enhance their survival and prevent relapses.
PMID: 21838206