Sense of Humor, Stable Affect, and

Psychological Well-Being
Arnie Cann, Chantal Collette, 2014

Abstract

A good sense of humor has been implicated as a quality that could contribute to
psychological well-being. The mechanisms through which sense of humor might
operate include helping to reappraise threats, serving as a character strength, or
facilitating happiness. The current research attempts to integrate these possibilities
by examining whether a good sense of humor might operate globally by helping to
maintain a more stable positive affect. Stable positive affect has been shown to
facilitate more effective problem solving and to build resilience. However, not all
humor is adaptive humor, so we also examine the roles that different styles of
humor use might play. Individual differences in humor styles were used to predict
stable levels of affect. Then, in a longitudinal design, humor styles and stable affect
were used to predict subsequent resilience and psychological health. The results
indicated that stable affect was related to resilience and psychological well-being,
and that a sense of humor that involves self-enhancing humor, humor based on
maintaining a humorous perspective about one’s experiences, was positively related
to stable positive affect, negatively related to stable negative affect, and was
mediated through stable affect in influencing resilience, well-being and distress.
Thus, while a good sense of humor can lead to greater resilience and better
psychological health, the current results, focusing on stable affect, find only self-
enhancing humor provides reliable benefits.
The Use of Humor in Family Therapy:
Rationale and Applications
Lauren E. Fox

Pages 67-78 | Published online: 15 Mar 2016

ABSTRACT
Humor and its historical presence in therapy is defined and examined through a
review of the available literature. This article underlines various applications for
humor in forming the alliance, delivering interventions, and assessment,
particularly when working with family systems, dyadic relationships, or children
clientele. Implications for the inappropriate use of humor, including the need for
multicultural awareness, are presented.
KEYWORDS: Alliance, assessment, couple therapy, family systems, family
therapy, humor, intervention, therapy skills
Management strategies of mothers of school‐age children with autism:
Implications for practice
Annette V. Joosten PhD

Anneleise P. Safe BSc (OT) (Hons)

First published: 06 February 2014

Abstract
Background/aim
Mothering children with autism results in mothers spending more time on daily tasks as well as
managing the disorder. The need for mothers to self‐manage often increases when the child is
school aged. Mothers develop strategies, and occupational therapists and other health
professional rely on or expect mothers to be involved in meeting the extra needs of their children
with autism and other family members. Little is known about the strategies adopted by the
mothers. The aim of this study was to explore the strategies mothers used to manage their roles
and emotions, and their child's behaviours.

Method
In‐depth individual interviews were conducted with seven mothers and data were analysed in this
qualitative study using phenomenological analysis.

Results
Findings revealed that the mothers had adopted strategies to manage their roles, their emotions
and their child's behaviour. However, the strategies were often shaped by the expectations of
others or circumstances beyond their control and at times added further to their stress.

Conclusions
Mothers of children with autism developed strategies to self‐manage their lives and their child's
disorder. However, even when these strategies were effective, they sometimes placed further
stress on the mothers. The mothers provided insights to how they coped but need help to
consider the support they require and therapists need to consider the pressures of expecting
mothers to self‐manage their child's disorder, their own lives and their family. Family‐centred
practice emphasising collaboration with mothers needs to be maintained with school‐aged
children.