(2022) Science and education, 3, 76-84. Odessa.

Oleksiy Chebykin,
Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor,
full member of NAES of Ukraine,
The State Institution “South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University
named after K. D. Ushynsky”,
26 Staroportofrankivska Str., Odessa, Ukraine,
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7905-2708

Olena Ivanova,
PhD Student, Department of Theory and Methodics of Practical Psychology,
The State Institution “South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University
named after K. D. Ushynsky”,
26 Staroportofrankovska Str., Odessa, Ukraine,
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5653-3661

LAUGHTER THERAPY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ITS USE IN THE CORRECTION OF POSTTRAUMATICAL STRESSFUL STATES

The analysis of research, dedicated to the effects of laughter therapy in the practice of somatic and posttraumatic stressful states of a personality, is presented in this article. The importance and actuality of the present direction of work insufficiently researched and enlightened in the native psychological science and practice is emphasized. Scientific substantiation of laughter’s psychological content is given in the present work, philosophical, cultural, theological, psychophysiological and psychological conceptions of leading native and foreign specialists are described on the nature of laughter. It is shown that laughter is considered as a powerful natural mechanism which has healing effect on the body and psychics. The ultimate form of laughter is “suitable catharsis”. Certain positive data about laughter therapy’s influence on patients in posttraumatic stressful states are given. The concepts about different kinds of humor as means of laughter stimulation are generalized. Laughter therapy is considered as a certain technology built on the base of communicative actions, definite gestures, movements and images. Technologies and exercises of laughter therapy for work with deep layers of psychics are described. The latter, as a rule, are directed to tension and stress relief during trainings on the formation of conditions for laughter appearance. The possibility of such approach implementation for overcoming of posttraumatic stressful states of a person is shown. The training technology of laughter therapy including certain set of exercises is offered. Preliminary research and approbation of certain technologies of laughter therapy for leveling of posttraumatic stressful states of examined people is done. The following methodologies were chosen for the research: “Questionnaire on the self-rating of functional state SAN” (V.А. Doskin and others), questionnaire “The scale of psychological stress PSM-25” (Lemyr-Tessier-Fillion), “The scale of the self-rating of common level of stress from 1 till 10”, “The scale of the self-rating of level of laughter”. The tendencies of positive changes characterized by posttraumatic stressful states of examined people are mentioned.

laughter, humor, comic, laughter therapy, helotology, psychotherapy, adaptation of personality, psychology of humor, creation, stress, joy.

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