Humor, laughter and mental health: a case study of Mary Kay Morrison
| Date | 28 April 2023 |
| Pages | 574-584 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-03-2023-0036 |
| Published date | 28 April 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion |
| Author | Mary Kay Morrison,Ros Ben-Moshe,Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky |
Humor, laughter and mental health: a
case study of Mary Kay Morrison
Mary Kay Morrison, Ros Ben-Moshe and Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to meet Mary Kay Morrison, an active member and past
presidentof the Association for Applied and TherapeuticHumor (AATH).
Design/methodology/approach –This case study is presented in two sections: an autobiography of
Mary Kay Morrison,followed by a ten-question interview.
Findings –Mary Kay recommends exploration of the benefits of humor and laughter for mental health
professionals.In recognition of the need for clarifyingterminology, she coined the termsHumergy, which
is joyful, optimistic, healthy energy and Humordoomer, which denotes a person who zaps that energy
from us. Her work includes exploring the five stages of Humor Development as a significant factor in
understandingcognitive development.
Research limitations/implications –This is a personalnarrative, albeit from an educatorwho has been
activein the field of applied and therapeutichumor for over 30 years.
Practical implications –Humor and laughter research is recommended to explore their use in
optimizing mental health. Mary Kay endorses expanding pioneering work in therapeutic humor
as a treatment for anxiety and depression. She shares recommendations for humor practice in
both prevention of mental health challenges and as a viable treatment for anxiety and
depression.
Social implications –Three humor benefits with particular social applications are highlighted. Humor
facilitatescommunication, creates an optimal learningenvironment and supports change.
Originality/value –To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case study about Mary Kay
Morrison,Past President of the AATH and founder of the AATH CertifiedHumor Professional program.
Keywords Humor, Laughter, Mental health
Paper type Case study
1. Introduction
This case study adds to our series on laughter, humor and mental health. In previous
sessions, we met Merv Neal (Neal and Gonot-Schoupinsky, 2022), CEO of Laughter Yoga
Australia and initiator of the Laughie Challenge, Arthur Asa Berger (Berger and Gonot-
Schoupinsky, 2023), an Emeritus Professor of San Francisco State University who has
written extensively on humor, and Ros Ben-Moshe (Ben-Moshe and Gonot-Schoupinsky,
2023), a positive psychologist at La Trobe University who has actively used laughter to
traverse a bowel cancer diagnosis to optimize healing and well-being. We recently also met
with Madan Kataria (Kataria et al., 2023),the founder of Laughter Yoga. These case studies
make a case for the need to consider the use of laughter andhumor as a viable response to
the growing mental health crisis. The highly accessible, low-risk and enjoyable potential of
laughter, be it with or without humor, renders it a practical intervention for personal
development (Gonot-Schoupinsky et al., 2020) and an effective one to support mental
health and well-being (Stiwi and Rosendahl,2022).
Here, Ros and I are delighted to invite Mary Kay Morrison, a past president of the
Association of Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) from Rockford, Illinois, to recount
Mary Kay Morrison is based
at the Association for
Applied and Therapeutic
Humor, AATH, Rockford,
Illinois, USA.
Ros Ben-Moshe is based at
the School of Public Health
and Psychology, La Trobe
University –Bundoora
Campus, Melbourne,
Australia.
Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky
is based at the Department
of Psychology, University of
Bolton, Bolton, UK.
PAGE 574 jMENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION jVOL. 28 NO. 5 2024, pp. 574-584, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308 DOI 10.1108/MHSI-03-2023-0036
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