Patients' perception of laughter in a rehabilitation hospital.

This article describes a study of patients in a rehabilitation hospital regarding their perception of laughter and its effect on their mood, their opinion of nurses who laugh with patients, and the appropriateness of laughter in this setting. Results from 35 surveys indicated that patients welcome laughter and perceive nurses who laugh with their patients to be therapeutic. Coupled with information from the literature, which described the positive physical, psychological, and social benefits of laughter, the results of this survey support laughter as a therapeutic intervention that nurses can use in helping patients and families through the process of rehabilitation.