In "Anatomy of an Illness," Saturday Evening Review editor Norman Cousins described an unusual treatment in his battle against a fatal illness: laughter. To control his pain, he dosed himself with video after video of the Marx Brothers in lieu of medications. Anne Belcher, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, a JHUSON associate professor and director of the school's Office for Teaching Excellence, is sure that Cousins was onto something. As a cancer nurse, she has seen the positive health effects of coping mechanisms such as laughter first hand.
Recognizing the growing research on the role of mood on healing, Belcher emphasizes the importance of nursing at the intersection of body and mind. In her nursing lectures, she prescribes the use of humor in liberal doses with patients, knowing it stimulates the release of endorphins that can help control pain and promote better sleep. Research suggests it also may give the immune system a boost.
Laughter is only one useful coping mechanism; there are others, such as faith, belief, and simple optimism. "I am convinced," she notes, "that how we view life and our control over it affect our ability to navigate what life hands us, including illness and even impending death." To Belcher, individuals who find purpose and meaning in what is happening to them and express it with optimism seem better able to get through treatment and to recover from or to live longer with an illness. "It's all about living with hope. It doesn't matter if it's called faith, a sense of optimism, a positive outlook, or a good laugh. Mind does matter when it comes to health. " To her mind, no one is better positioned than nurses to support a patient's body, mind and spirit. "Our job," Belcher recalls, "is to relieve suffering. So, if laughter or spirituality seems to be helping a patient, I counsel my nursing colleagues to just go for it."
Mind Matters In Promoting Health
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