The Forensic Humor Project: An Interview Study on Forensic Mental Health Inpatients Experience With and Use of Humor

The literature suggests that humor is of central importance in the staff-patient relationship. However, within forensic mental health, the most recent review underlines a scarcity of research focusing on the use of humor from a forensic patient perspective. Therefore, this study investigated the characteristics of forensic mental health inpatients' perceptions of staff and their own use of humor within a forensic mental health setting.

The project explored this through semistructured interviews with 11 forensic mental health inpatients and subsequent thematic analysis.

Overall, the patients found that staff should keep practicing humor during admission. The study showed that inpatients viewed the use of humor in terms of "identity" and "community and closer relationships" providing possibilities for "contagious social therapy" if managed according to "power: insight, context, and intention." These elements of humor were used to "deescalate conflicts" and to create a "positive therapeutic alliance" if carried out with (a) relational sensitivity, (b) situational sensitivity, (c) person-centeredness, and (d) humor being power informed.

The inpatients recommended nursing staff use of humor during admission.