Mindfulness Interfused with Humor: Insights From a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Humor-Enriched Mindfulness-Based Program

Overview

Journal Mindfulness (N Y)

Publisher Springer

Date 2025 Feb 3

PMID 39898273

Authors

Christian T Kastner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Both mindfulness and humor are inherently connected to well-being. Recent research found evidence for their combined effect in a joint training, the Humor-Enriched Mindfulness-Based Program (HEMBP). This study extends these findings by exploring (1) effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on different forms of humor, (2) differential effects of the HEMBP on outcomes compared to MBSR, and (3) whether the HEMBP and MBSR may alter worldviews.

Method: Ninety participants were randomly allocated to three conditions: the HEMBP, MBSR, and a wait-list control group. Participants' mindfulness, psychological well-being, life satisfaction, perceived stress, comic styles, and primal world beliefs (primals) were assessed before and after the trainings, and at 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-ups. Changes in outcome variables over time were modeled by applying linear mixed-effects models.

Results: The HEMBP enhanced participants' mindfulness, benevolent humor, psychological well-being, and life satisfaction compared to the wait-list control. Similarly, MBSR increased participants' mindfulness and life satisfaction while reducing perceived stress and primal , but no effects on humor were observed. Comparison between the two trainings revealed trends toward a greater increase in benevolent humor in the HEMBP group and a greater decrease in in the MBSR group.

Conclusion: The results largely replicate previous research on the efficacy of the HEMBP. Both programs demonstrated similar effects on outcomes, with only the HEMBP increasing benevolent humor and psychological well-being, while MBSR reduced stress. Further research is needed to investigate qualitative aspects of the integration of humor in MBPs and the long-term impact of MBPs on individuals' worldviews.

Preregistration: This study is not preregistered.

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