Trial reportBMC psychiatry2019
Efficacy and feasibility of a humor training for people suffering from depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- A synthesis of RCTs on psychological interventions fostering strengths and virtues: Evidence from 21 systematic reviews.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2025Pooled it
- The impact of humor therapy on people suffering from depression or anxiety: An integrative literature review.Brain and behavior · 2023Pooled it
- Humour-based interventions for people with schizophrenia.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Association Between Emotional Intelligence and Stress Management in Hemodialysis Patients.Clinics and practice · 2025Article
- Using the Complex Network Model to Associate Nutritional, Psychological, and Physical Parameters and Aspects of Sleep with Depression Symptoms.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Humor in parenting: Does it have a role?PloS one · 2024Article
- "Beyond laughter": a systematic review to understand how interventions utilise comedy for individuals experiencing mental health problems.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Corrigendum: "Beyond laughter": a systematic review to understand how interventions utilise comedy for individuals experiencing mental health problems.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Article
- Do humour styles moderate the association between hopelessness and suicide ideation? A comparison of student and community samples.PloS one · 2023Article
- Review
- Mind-Body Interventions for Anxiety Disorders: A Review of the Evidence Base for Mental Health Practitioners.Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) · 2021Review
- Evaluation of a Humor Training for Patients with Chronic Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of pain research · 2021Article
- Influence of humor expression on suicidal ideation among adolescents: mediating effects of depressive emotion and positive emotion.BMC psychiatry · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHumor trainings have positive effects on mental health and well-being. However, studies investigating the effects of humor trainings in clinical samples are still rare. This study investigated the efficacy and feasibility of a humor training for people suffering from depression, anxiety and adjustment disorders.
methodsBased on a diagnostic interview (SCID I and II), 37 people were randomized into a training (n = 19) or wait list control group (n = 18) and completed questionnaires at pre, post, and 1 month follow-up. After the training group had completed its training and evaluation measures, the wait list control group received the training and the outcomes of the group were additionally evaluated (post2 and follow-up2).
resultsAfter training, improvements in humor-related outcomes were observed for the training group, but these were relativized when compared to the wait list control group. Secondary outcomes remained unaffected by the training. In addition, the training group reported interpersonal difficulties. Within-group analyses of the wait list control group after completion of their training showed effects on almost all primary and secondary outcomes and feedback indicated a better atmosphere.
conclusionsIn summary, the different outcomes of the two groups are surprising and can show potential moderators of efficacy, such as interpersonal and group-specific climate variables. Since moderators of humor trainings in clinical samples have not been investigated at all, future studies should consider integrating them into their design.
trial registrationThe study was retrospectively registered in the German Clinical Trials Register ( DRKS00012443 ) on May 16, 2017.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.