The association between humor and depression in adolescent psychiatric inpatients and high school students

Author(s): Overholser, J. C., Lehnert, K. L.

Journal/Book: J Adolescent Res. 1998; 13: 2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Sage Publications Inc. 32-48.

Abstract: Humor may be an important coping skill for dealing with emotional difficulties during adolescence. The relations between humor and symptoms of depression in high school students and in depressed adolescent psychiatric inpatients were examined in the present study. Assessment of humor included measures of humor appreciation, humor creativity, and humor coping, Professional comedians rated humor creativity. Depression war assessed with self-report measures of depressed mead, self-esteem and hopelessness. Results indicated that humor can be measured reliably and that humor and depression are related Specifically, using humor to cope with emotional difficulties war related to depression more than was the ability to appreciate or create humorous material. Although the adolescent inpatients reported more emotional distress than did the high school participants, the two groups did not differ on the humor measures. Further research examining the role of humor in coping with depression among adolescents is indicated.

Note: Article Overholser JC, Case Western Reserve Univ, Dept Psychol, 10900 Euclid Ave, Cleveland,OH 44106 USA

Keyword(s): CHILDRENS DEPRESSION; RATING-SCALE; PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES; HOPELESSNESS SCALE; SELF-ESTEEM; LIFE STRESS; SENSE; INVENTORY; VALIDITY; POPULATION

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