Humor: a holistic care and a promoting children's health

• Autor(a) principal: José, Helena Maria Guerreiro
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/9839
• topic: Sense of humor; Humor; Welfare; Child; Holistic health; Therapeutics; Senso de humor e humor; Bem-estar; Criança; Saúde holística; Terapêutica; Sentido de humor; Bienestar; Niño; Salud holística; Terapéutico

Objective: to discuss the importance of humor in children's lives. Method: it uses a reflective and analytical method, based on literature and starting with the following questions: Is there a link between humor and child health? What is the role of humor in people's lives? What role does humor have specifically in children’s lives? Results: humor in children's lives? ... Although it is easily accepted and commented in health contexts, why is not therapeutic value yet recognized? Too often people say «... take humor to Pediatrics wards», but frequently the argument about the therapeutic value of humor remains inconsistent, such as its physiological and relational benefits, among others. Health professionals, who treat and care children and adolescents, have a special role in their life and their families’, once they interact in a period of great vulnerability. During the disease process, both family and patient, across a phase of great anxiety and instability, where the loss of confidence and of control of the feelings of impotence arise constantly. Conclusion: the role of humor is of undeniable value, it is a basic human need, and a way to increase the horizon perspective. Humor is a unique way of changing reality, and interpreting the context of illness in a way to enable the greatest well-being of the child or adolescent. Descriptors: sense of humor and humor; welfare; child; holistic health; therapeutics.