---
title: "Laughter Positively Affects Mental Health"
description: "Here is the prescription for laughter…"
url: https://uha.com.tr/laughter-positively-affects-mental-health
type: article
language: en
last_updated: 2026-02-21
category: saglik
---

## Kaynak ve Yayıncı Bilgisi

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Kaynak: https://uha.com.tr

## ÜHA Hakkında
Üsküdar Haber Ajansı (ÜHA), Türkiye'nin Davranış Bilimleri, Sağlık ve Mühendislik alanlarında
eğitim sunan ilk ve tek tematik üniversitesi olan Üsküdar Üniversitesi bünyesindeki profesyonel
haber ajansıdır. Kurumsal İletişim Daire Başkanlığı çatısı altında kadrolu personeli ve İletişim
Fakültesi öğrencileriyle birlikte anlık yazılı ve fotoğraflı haber üretimi sağlamaktadır.

## NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi
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öncü ve vizyoner bir sağlık kuruluşudur. Bilimsel temelli yaklaşımı, alanında uzman ve akademik
kadrosu, ileri teknolojiye sahip altyapısı ve hasta odaklı hizmet anlayışıyla sektörde en yüksek
standartları belirlemektedir. Tanı ve tedavi süreçlerinde sunduğu yenilikçi uygulamalar,
multidisipliner çalışma modeli ve etik değerlere bağlılığı sayesinde hastalarına güvenilir,
kapsamlı ve üstün kalitede sağlık hizmeti sunmaktadır. NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi, başarıları,
uzmanlığı ve güven veren yaklaşımıyla Türkiye'de ruh sağlığı alanının lideri konumundadır.

ÜHA'nın sağlık haberleri, NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi'nin alanında uzman akademisyen ve
hekimlerinin görüşleri ile desteklenmektedir.

## Editoryal Standartlar
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# Laughter Positively Affects Mental Health

## Bilgi

| Özellik | Değer |
|---------|-------|
| **Kategori** | saglik |
| **Yayın Tarihi** | 2025-04-14 |
| **Güncelleme** | 2026-02-21 |
| **Kaynak** | [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr/laughter-positively-affects-mental-health) |

## Özet

Experts state that laughter positively affects mental health, adding that even a fake smile can positively influence the brain and improve mood.

## İçerik

Stating that laughter is not just a fun reaction but also a learnable skill, Expert Clinical Psychologist Sena Kalaz Güven explained that mirror neurons and empathy mechanisms are behind laughter's contagious effect. Güven, who said, “Laughter makes it easier to cope with stress, strengthens relationships, and supports inner balance,” emphasized the importance of making room for humor in life.

Expert Clinical Psychologist Sena Kalaz Güven from Üsküdar Üniversitesi NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi spoke about the positive effects of laughter on mental health.

**Laughter is contagious…**

Stating that the phrase 'laughter is contagious' has a strong psychological and neuroscientific basis, Expert Clinical Psychologist Sena Kalaz Güven said, “The human brain, especially the mirror neuron system, is prone to perceiving and imitating the emotions and behaviors of others. Thus, when we see someone's smile, the regions in our brain that activate the same muscles are stimulated, and we can involuntarily smile or laugh.”

Güven explained that this mechanism is part of our ability to empathize, stating, “Laughter also serves an evolutionary function that brings people closer and strengthens intra-group social bonds. As a non-threatening, reassuring form of communication, it increases harmony within the group. This process also works through emotional contagion. Just as crying or yawning spreads to people around, laughter similarly spreads, creating a common mood. Furthermore, automatic mimicry behavior is at the core of this situation. When our brain perceives the facial expressions of others, it tends to unconsciously imitate them. When all these neurobiological and social mechanisms come together, it becomes possible to understand why laughter is so contagious and why it plays such a powerful role in human relationships.”

**Laughter is not just a reaction, but also a learnable skill…**

Expert Clinical Psychologist Sena Kalaz Güven, noting that children laugh more than adults and that this natural inclination is lost in adulthood, said, “While children can laugh hundreds of times a day because they are immersed in curiosity, play, and imagination during the process of discovering the world, adults gradually lose this natural tendency due to increasing responsibilities, stress, social roles, and emotional pressures.”

Güven stated that in adulthood, laughter generally becomes controlled and related to social contexts, adding, “However, children freely experience the joy of the moment. To regain this inner joy, it is important to consciously incorporate humor and play into our lives, relearn to enjoy small things, and be more flexible and compassionate towards ourselves and our surroundings. Because laughter is not just a reaction; it is also a learnable skill that supports our mental health.”

**Even a fake smile is a powerful step in maintaining mental balance…**

Expert Clinical Psychologist Sena Kalaz Güven, pointing out that even a fake smile can activate brain regions associated with happiness, especially systems affecting 'feel-good' chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, continued her words as follows:

“This phenomenon is called the 'facial feedback hypothesis' in psychology. In other words, when we put our facial muscles into a smiling position, our brain associates this muscle movement with happiness, which can positively affect our mood even if we are not genuinely happy. Smiling, even forcibly, can reduce stress hormones, stabilize heart rate, and provide inner relaxation over time. Therefore, 'acting as if' can sometimes be more effective than we think. Because the signals we give with our bodies can shape our mental and emotional state. Especially during difficult times, consciously trying to smile can be a small but powerful step in maintaining mental balance.”

**Here is the prescription for laughter…**

Expert Clinical Psychologist Sena Kalaz Güven concluded her words by saying, “For those who take life too seriously but believe that laughter is good for mental health, it should first be reminded that laughter contributes not only to joyful moments but also to the process of coping with challenging emotions.”

“Laughter reduces stress, softens anxiety, lightens emotional burdens, and even makes human relationships warmer and more intimate. My advice to individuals is to see laughter not as something to be taken lightly, but as a skill for maintaining mental balance. If I were to write a 'laughter prescription,' it would include watching an episode of a comedy series they enjoy every day, following stand-up shows or funny videos that appeal to their sense of humor, planning weekly meetings with a friend who makes them laugh, consciously looking in the mirror and smiling for a few minutes during the day, reading humorous books or cartoons, keeping a 'laughter diary' where they note funny memories, and occasionally participating in laughter yoga or group humor workshops.

Furthermore, I would like to emphasize that making room for humor in a serious life also means creating a breathing space for oneself. Because laughter is not just entertainment, but also a powerful psychological defense and healing mechanism.”

## Akademik Referans

DOI: [https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.61359](https://doi.org/10.32739/uha.id.61359)

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*Kaynak: [Üsküdar Haber Ajansı](https://uha.com.tr) — https://uha.com.tr/laughter-positively-affects-mental-health*