Stress-moderating effects of positive emotions: Exposure to humorous movies during hemodialytic sessions decreases blood levels of stress hormones

Objective: Although Selye had indicated the relevance of the eustress dimension, scientific interest in the psychobiological and clinical aspects of distress has largely been dominant. In recent years there has been an increased interest in the use of humor in patient care. To contribute in this area, the present study is designed to show the stress moderating effect of the positive emotion of humor during hemodialytic treatment in renal patients. Methods: Nine patients were studied in three sessions at the same time of day. In the first baseline session (BS), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), beta-endorphin and Cortisol were measured through four different blood samplings from pre-to post-hemodialytic treatment. The two following experimental sessions (ESI ,ES2) were performed identically to BS except for the presentation of two different humorous videos during hemodialytic treatment. Results: A two-way repeated measure ANOVA Session by Time was carried out for each dependent variable. This revealed a reduction of the stressogenic responses due to viewing the humorous material. The expected interactions were highly significant for all the dependent variables considered (ACTH: F = 4.37, P < 0.001; Cortisol: F = 5.93, P < 0.0001; beta-endorphin: F = 6.47, P < 0.00004). Conclusion: The results support our hypothesis that the viewing of a humorous video modifies the pattern of the stress hormone response. These findings appear relevant for basic research in positive emotions and for their possible application in a clinical setting.