[Health and sense of humour: morbidity]

Three components may be identified in the sense of humour: A cognitive, social and an affective. The cognitive factor appears to be most important for health outcome parameters. Studies of small samples in a laboratory context as well large-scale population samples have failed to prove a simple and direct effect of sense of humour on health. More success has been achieved in studies of persons exposed to real life stressors. Sense of humour appears to be a buffer against stress-related morbidity, and the mechanisms may be aspects of the immune function and pain-modulating mechanisms of the brain.