Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53792, USA.
Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2013 May;23(4):775-9. doi: 10.1097/IGC.0b013e31828addd5.
Humor has been shown to decrease the use of pain medicine, improve mood, and decrease stress. However, the timing and setting for using humor can be perceived differently depending on the patient and the context. Our objective was to better understand how patients with recurrent ovarian cancer experience humor to gain insight into the feasibility of using humor as a therapeutic adjunct.
We conducted structured patient interviews with women being treated for recurrent ovarian cancer. The phenomenological method of Colaizzi was used to gain an in-depth understanding of how women with recurrent ovarian cancer use and view humor in relation to their diagnosis.
Most patients used humor to cope with cancer and felt that humor alleviated their anxiety. The use of humor by physicians and nurses was perceived as appropriate and positive. A previous relationship with a physician was often felt necessary before the use of humor. Humor was often perceived not only in traditional jokes but was also found in humorous anecdotes from the caregiver's life outside of medicine.
This study revealed that humor is an often used coping mechanism for women with recurrent ovarian cancer and subjectively helps alleviate anxiety. The use of humor by physicians was found to be universally perceived as appropriate and positive. The waiting area seems to be a place where humorous experiences would be welcomed. These findings provide additional insight into the role that humor plays in the lives of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.
幽默已被证明可以减少止痛药的使用、改善情绪、减轻压力。然而，根据患者和具体情况的不同，幽默的时机和方式可能会有不同的理解。我们的目的是更好地了解复发性卵巢癌患者是如何体验幽默的，以深入了解将幽默用作辅助治疗的可行性。
我们对接受复发性卵巢癌治疗的女性进行了结构化的患者访谈。采用科拉齐的现象学方法，深入了解复发性卵巢癌患者如何使用幽默以及如何看待与诊断相关的幽默。
大多数患者使用幽默来应对癌症，并认为幽默减轻了他们的焦虑。医生和护士使用幽默被认为是合适和积极的。在使用幽默之前，通常需要与医生建立之前的关系。幽默不仅体现在传统的笑话中，还体现在医护人员的生活中的幽默轶事。
这项研究表明，幽默是复发性卵巢癌女性常用的应对机制，主观上有助于减轻焦虑。医生使用幽默被普遍认为是合适和积极的。候诊区似乎是人们乐于接受幽默的地方。这些发现为幽默在复发性卵巢癌患者生活中所扮演的角色提供了更多的见解。
