Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy
2024. Vol. 32, no. 1, 58–78
doi:10.17759/cpp.2024320103
ISSN: 2075-3470 / 2311-9446 (online)
Changes in the Sense of Humor in Patients with Affective Disorders: “Deficit”, “Pathological Defense”, “Mask”
Abstract
Relevance. The present article provides an analysis of changes in the sense of humor in patients with affective disorders. The necessity of this research is due to the emergence of new findings and the insufficient systematization of the scientific data in this field, despite the fact that methods of psychosocial rehabilitation using humor and laughter are being actively developed. The present research is aimed at summarizing and systematizing existing data on the characteristics of the sense of humor in patients with affective disorders. Results. Three theoretical approaches to understanding the specifics of humor’s changes in patients with affective disorders are proposed: «deficit», «pathological defense» and «mask». The «deficit» model describes humor’s characteristics accompanying depressive syndrome. The ones in the foreground are: a decreased affective response to humor, a reduced tendency to engage in humorous interaction with others and to use humor as a coping strategy. In manic and hypomanic states, humor functions as a «pathological defense», blocking negative emotions and stimulating positive ones. In «smiling» depression, the meaning of smiling and laughter can be characterized as a «mask»: their main goal here is to reduce the significance or to hide completely a patient’s inner feelings from others. Also, affective disorders are accompanied by an increased interest in depressive humor. Presumably, it functions as a compensation for a decrease in the use of humor in general as an emotion regulation strategy. Conclusions. Changes in the sense of humor in patients with affective disorders are heterogeneous. Understanding their specifics may be used to improve modern psychosocial therapy programs focused on humor interventions and techniques. It may also be used as an additional diagnostic tool.
General Information
Keywords: affective disorders, depression, mania, smiling depression, humor, depressive humor, memes, emotion regulation
Journal rubric: Research Reviews
Article type: scientific article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/cpp.2024320103
Received: 22.10.2023
Accepted:
For citation: Govorov S.A., Ivanova E.M. Changes in the Sense of Humor in Patients with Affective Disorders: “Deficit”, “Pathological Defense”, “Mask”. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya = Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2024. Vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 58–78. DOI: 10.17759/cpp.2024320103. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)
References
- Bleyher V.M., Kruk I.V. Tolkovyj slovar' psihiatricheskih terminov [Dictionary of psychiatric terms]. Voronezh: Modjek, 1995. 640 p. (In Russ.).
- Borodenko M.V. Dva litsa Yanusa-smekha [Two faces of Janus-laughter]: Tutorial. Rostov—on—Don: Tsvetnaya pechat', 1995. 86 p. (In Russ.).
- Dedov N.P. Diagnostiruyushchaya i reguliruyushchaya rol' yumora v ehkstremal'nykh usloviyakh. Diss. kand. psikhol. nauk [The diagnostic and regulating role of humor in extreme conditions. PhD (Psychology) Dissertation]. Moscow, 2000. 224 p. (In Russ.).
- Dombrovskaya I.S. Yumor v kontekste psikhologicheskoi praktiki [Humor in the context of psychological practice]. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya = Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2011, vol. 19, № 1, pp. 95–108. URL: https://psyjournals.ru/en/journals/cpp/archive/2011_n1/36742 (Accessed 01.07.2023). (In Russ.).
- Zhdanova D.E., Kadyrov R.V. Suicidal'no-depressivnyj jumor kak mehanizm psihologicheskoj zashchity u podrostkov [Suicide and depressive humor as a psychological defense mechanism among adolescents]. Voprosy ustojchivogo razvitija obshhestv = Issues of sustainable development of society (Russia), 2022, № 7, pp. 406–414. (In Russ.).
- Ivanova E.M., Enikolopov S.N. Psikhopatologiya i chuvstvo yumora [Psychopathology and sense of humor]. Sovremennaya terapiya psikhicheskikh rasstroistv = Current Therapy of Mental Disorders, 2009, № 1, pp. 19—24.URL: https://ctmd.psypharma.ru/index.php/ctmd/article/view/202 (Accessed 01.07.2023). (In Rus.).
- Ivanova E.M., Enikolopov S.N., Mitina O.V. Narushenija chuvstva jumora pri shizofrenii i affektivnyh rasstrojstvah [Analysis of dysfunctions of the sense of humor in schizophrenia and affective disorders]. Voprosy psihologii = Questions of psychology (Russia), 2008, № 1, pp. 45–57. (In Russ.).
- Ivanova E.M., Obraztsova V.S., Grabovaya E.V., Scherbakova O.V. Osobennosti ponimaniya yumora pri psihicheskih zabolevaniyah: kachestvennyi analiz [Peculiarities of understanding humor in mental patients: A qualitative analysis]. Voprosy psihologii = Questions of psychology (Russia), 2018, № 6, pp. 77–87. (In Russ.).
- Korovkin S.Y., Nikiforova O.S. Kognitivnye i affektivnye mekhanizmy yumoristicheskoi fasilitatsii resheniya tvorcheskikh zadach [Cognitive and affective mechanisms of creative problems solving facilitation by humor]. Ehksperimental'naya psikhologiya = Experimental Psychology (Russia), 2014, vol. 7, № 4, pp. 37–51.URL: https://psyjournals.ru/journals/exppsy/archive/2014_n4/exppsy_2014_n4_72899.pdf (Accessed 01.07.2023). (In Russ.).
- Lyubavskaya A.A., Oleychik I.V., Ivanova E.M. Osobennosti gelotofobii, gelotofilii i katagelastitsizma u patsientov s depressivnym sindromom [Gelotophobia, gelotophiles and katagelasticists in patients with depression]. Klinicheskaya i spetsialnaya psihologiya = Clinical psychology and special education (Russia), 2018, vol. 7, № 3, pp. 119–134. (In Russ.).
- Musiychuk M.V. Kognitivno—affectivnye osnovaniya chernogo yumora kak effektivnaya profilaktika krizisnyh sostoyaniy [Cognitive-affective basis of black humor as an effective prevention of crisis situations]. Akademicheskiy zhurnal Zapadnoy Sibiri = Academic journal of West Siberia, 2014, vol. 10, № 1 (50), pp. 30–37. (In Russ.).
- Musiychuk M.V., Musiychuk S.V. Yumor kak effektivnaya strategiya sovladaniya na samoizolyatsii v period pandemii koronavirusa [Humor as an effective copying strategy for self-isolation during the coromavirus pandemic]. Mir nauki. Pedagogika i psihologiya = World of Science. Pedagogy and Psychology, 2020, vol. 8, № 5, p. 35. EDN VJNDXW. (In Russ.).
- Sosunova N.A. Depressiya: nayti i obezvredit [Depression: finding and neutralizing]. Zdravoohranenie Ugry: opyt i innovatsii = Healthcare of Ugra: experience and innovations, 2015, № 3. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/depressiya-nayti-i-obezvredit (Accessed 03.10.2023). (In Russ.).
- Umjarova R.S. Smehoterapija [Therapy though laughter]. Konsul'tativnaja psihologija i psihoterapija = Consultative psychology and psychotherapy (Russia), 2008, vol. 16, № 1, pp. 137–143. (In Russ.).
- Fajntuh E.D., Holmogorova A.B. Kommunikacija na temu depressii v Internete — faktor psihopatologii ili resurs dlja psihoterapii? [Communication About Depression on the Internet — factor of Psychopathology or Resource for Psychotherapy?]. Sovremennaja terapija psihicheskih rasstrojstv = Modern therapy of mental disorders (Russia), 2021, №1, pp. 44–54. (In Russ.).
- Tsvetkov A.V. Chernyi yumor protiv terrorizma [Dark humor against terrorism]. Moscow: Sputnik+, 2007. 43 p. (In Russ.).
- Cto takoe «ulybauschayasya depressiya» i kak my mozhem pomoch blizkomu cheloveku s ney spravitsya [What is “smiling depression” and how can we help a loved one cope with it] [Elektronnyi resurs]. Psihologiya = Psychology, AdMe, 2020. Available at: https://adme.media/svoboda-psihologiya/chto-takoe-ulybayuschayasya-depressiya-i-kak-my-mozhem-pomoch-blizkomu-cheloveku-s-nej-spravitsya-2222265 (Accessed 03.10.2023). (In Russ.).
- Shportun O.N., Matohnyuk L.A. Smyslovaya specifika i psihologicheskie zakonomernosti funktsionirovaniya yumora pri razlichnyh vidah psihicheskoy patologii [Semantic specificity and psychological patterns of functioning of humor in different types of mental pathology]. Psihiatriya, psihoterapiya i klinicheskaya psihologiya = Psychiatry, psychotherapy and clinical psychology (Russia), 2020, vol. 11, № 4, pp. 687–707. DOI: 10.34883/PI.2020.11.4.003. (In Russ.).
- Akram U., Drabble J., Cau G., et al. Exploratory study on the role of emotion regulation in perceived valence, humour, and beneficial use of depressive internet memes in depression. Scientific Reports, 2020, vol. 10, art. 899.
- Akram U., Ellis J.G., Cau G., et al. Eye tracking and attentional bias for depressive internet memes in depression. Exp. Brain. Res., 2021, vol. 239, pp. 575–581. DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-06001-8
- Ayisire O.E., Babalola F., Aladum B., et al. A Comprehensive Review on the Effects of Humor in Patients With Depression. Cureus, 2022, vol. 14, № 9, p. e29263. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.29263
- Bhattacharya S., et al. «Smiling depression» (an emerging threat): Let’s Talk. Indian Journal of Community Health, 2019, vol. 31, № 4, pp. 433–436.
- Braniecka A., Hanć M., Wołkowicz I., et al. Is it worth turning a trigger into a joke? Humor as an emotion regulation strategy in remitted depression. Brain Behav, 2019, vol. 9, № 2, p. e01213. DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1213
- Clasen P.C., Wells T.T., Ellis A.J., Beevers C.G. Attentional biases and the persistence of sad mood in major depressive disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2013, vol. 122, № 1, pp. 74–85. DOI: 10.1037/a0029211
- Demchenko I., Desai N., Iwasa S.N., et al. Manipulating facial musculature with functional electrical stimulation as an intervention for major depressive disorder: a focused search of literature for a proposal. J. Neuroeng. Rehabil., 2023, vol. 20, № 1, p. 64. DOI: 10.1186/s12984-023-01187-8
- Drury C. The function of internet memes in helping EMS providers cope with stress and burnout. Undergraduate Honors Theses, 2019, 41 p. URL: https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/499 (Accessed 03.10.2023).
- Falkenberg I., Jarmuzek J., Bartels M., Wild B. Do depressed patients lose their sense of humor? Psychopathology, 2011, vol. 44, № 2, pp. 98–105.
- Forabosco G. The ill side of humor: Pathological conditions and sense of humor. In Ruch W. (ed.). The Sense of Humor: Explorations of a Personality Characteristic. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton, 1998, pp. 271–292. DOI: 10.1515/9783110804607-013
- Francis L.E., Monahan K., Berger C. A laughing matter? The uses of humor in medical interactions. Motivation and Emotion, 1999, vol. 23, № 2, pp. 155–174. DOI: 10.1023/A:1021381129517
- Fredrickson B.L., Mancuso R.A., Branigan C., Tugade M.M. The unDOIng effect of positive emotions. Motivation and Emotion, 2000, vol. 24, № 4, pp. 237–258. DOI: 10.1023/A:1010796329158
- Gardner K., Jabs N.—M., Drabble J., Akram U. Humour Styles Influence the Perception of Depression-Related Internet Memes in Depression. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research, 2021. DOI: 10.1515/HUMOR-2021-0045
- Grotstein J.S. Humor and its relationship to the unconscious. Humor and Psyche, 2013, pp. 69–86.
- Gruber J., et al. Associations between hypomania proneness and attentional bias to happy, but not angry or fearful, faces in emerging adults. Cognition and Emotion, 2021, vol. 35, № 1, pp. 207–213.
- Haig R.A. The anatomy of humor: Biopsychosocial and therapeutic perspectives. Springfield, IL: Thomas, 1988. 202 p.
- Jiang F., Lu S., Jiang T., Jia H. Does the Relation Between Humor Styles and Subjective Well-Being Vary Across Culture and Age? A Meta-Analysis. Front Psychol., 2020, vol. 11, p. 2213. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.02213
- Kariko A.A.T., Anasih N. Laughing at one's self: A study of self-reflective internet memes. J. Phys.: Conf. Ser., 2019, vol. 1175, p. 012250. DOI: 10.1088/1742—6596/1175/1/012250
- Kendler K.S. The genealogy of the clinical syndrome of mania: signs and symptoms described in psychiatric texts from 1880 to 1900. Psychological Medicine, 2018, vol. 48, pp. 1573–1591.
- Lau C., Chiesi F., Saklofske D. The temperamental basis of humor and using humor under stress in depression: a moderated mediation model. HUMOR, 2022. vol. 35. pp. 239–251. DOI: 10.1515/humor—2021—0115
- Lin W., Hu J., Gong Y. Is it helpful for individuals with minor depression to keep smiling? An event-related potentials analysis. Social Behavior and Personality: An international journal, 2015, vol. 43, № 3, pp. 383–396.
- Liu Y.H., et al. A study on attentional bias and response inhibition of facial expressions in manic patients: evidence from eye movement. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 2019, vol. 23, № 3, pp. 164–170.
- Martin R.A., Puhlik-Doris P., Larsen G., Gray J., Weir K. Individual differences in uses of humor and their relation to psychological well-being: Development of the Humor Styles Questionnaire. Journal of Research in Personality, 2003, vol. 37, pp. 48–75. DOI: 10.1016/S0092—6566(02)00534—2
- Masoomi M., et al. Stigma as a barrier to suicide prevention efforts in Iran. Frontiers in public health, 2023, vol. 10, p. 1026451.
- Moitra M., Santomauro D., Collins P.Y., Vos T., Whiteford H., Saxena S., Ferrari A.J. The global gap in treatment coverage for major depressive disorder in 84 countries from 2000—2019: A systematic review and Bayesian meta-regression analysis. PLoS Med, 2022, vol. 19, № 2, p. e1003901. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003901
- Ofuebe J., Nweke P., et al. Social media use on the mental health of the undergraduate students with depression: sociological implication. Journal of Youth Studies, 2022, vol. 4, pp. 768–783.
- Perchtold-Stefan C., Weiss E., Rominger C., et al. Humorous cognitive reappraisal: More benign humour and less «dark» humour is affiliated with more adaptive cognitive reappraisal strategies. PLOS ONE, 2019, vol. 14, p. e0211618. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211618.
- Samson A.C., Glassco A.L., Lee I.A., Gross J.J. Humorous coping and serious reappraisal: Short—term and longer-term effects. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 2014, vol. 10, № 3, pp. 571–581. DOI: 10.5964/ejop.v10i3.730
- Uekermann J., Channon S., Lehmkämper C., et al. Executive function, mentalizing and humor in major depression. J. Int. Neuropsychol. Soc., 2008, vol. 14, № 1, pp. 55–62. DOI: 10.1017/S1355617708080016
- Wagner L., Ruch W. Trait cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood outperform personality traits of the five-factor model in explaining variance in humor behaviors and well-being among adolescents. Curr. Psychol., 2023, vol. 42, pp. 16344–16355. DOI: 10.1007/s12144—020—00629—z
- Watkins E., Teasdale J.D., Williams R.M. Decentering and distraction reduce overgeneral autobiographical memory in depression. Psychological Medicine, 2000, vol. 30, pp. 911–920.
- Xiaofei W., Tingting G., Chao Z., et al. From «Aha!» to «Haha!» Using Humor to Cope with Negative Stimuli. Cerebral Cortex, 2021, vol. 31, № 4, pp. 2238–2250. DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhaa357
Information About the Authors
Metrics
Views
Total: 1185
Previous month: 264
Current month: 22
Downloads
Total: 164
Previous month: 29
Current month: 1