Humor and Laughter may Influence Health. I. History and Background
Mary Payne Bennett1 and Cecile A. Lengacher2
1Indiana State University, College of Nursing, IN, USA
2University of South Florida, College of Nursing, FL, USA

Received 30 March 2005

Articles in both the lay and professional literature have extolled the virtues of humor, many giving the impression that the health benefits of humor are well documented by the scientific and medical community. The concept that humor or laughter can be therapeutic goes back to biblical times and this belief has received varying levels of support from the scientific community at different points in its history.