Beyond Laughter: Humour, Mental Health And Social Resilience In A Stressful World

Policy Update
Madhesh Raj P R

Background of International Joke Day

International Joke Day is celebrated on 1st July every year by several comedians, local businesses and some organisations, although it has not been officially recognised. The origin of this day suits its comical theme, as an American author, Wayne Reinagel, decided to create an “international day” for jokes in 1994 to boost sales of his humour-based books.

So, observing a day that is neither internationally recognised nor rooted in a significant origin story might sound absurd and comical at first, but never meaningless. The reason lies in the innate sense of humour that seems necessary for a person to be considered “human” both by the general public and clinical diagnoses against the rise of an era that has a record for diagnosing the most mental illnesses in the history of humankind. 

Hellenistic thinkers such as Aristotle claimed that the ultimate goal of human life is  “Eudaimonia”, i.e, “happiness.” However, that seems to be the most absent element in individuals’ day-to-day lives in the current era. Humans have evolved more than ever in the course of their history, but have parallelly entered an era where mental illnesses have become more prevalent to the extent of being overlooked.

Several healthcare studies have clearly demonstrated the importance and significance of proper mental healthcare and the need for diagnosis of severe mental illnesses. Laughter and humour are widely considered to be positive influences in creating a healthy environment across all spheres of a person’s life. This then highlights the importance of humour in everyday life for people to lead healthy lives. 

Current Global Mental Health Conditions

Mental health is often described as the psychological well-being of an individual, and it also includes the regulation of one’s emotional and social state. It is as significant as the individual’s physical health, if not more, as it affects every other aspect of a person’s life, including career, relationships, goals, and so on.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggests that one in five people have moderate to severe mental illnesses. Several organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), have recorded a significant increase in mental health issues among people, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Students, working people, homemakers and even older people have been observed to have increased stress, anxiety and depression from time to time due to their respective environmental pressures. Students are experiencing increased stress, anxiety, and loneliness due to academic pressure and domestic distress, where a significant number of them committing or attempting suicide (Deutsche Welle, 2026). Working adults experience sustained exhaustion and feel overwhelmed due to work pressure, peer pressure, financial burdens, and burnout.

Medical experts have also suggested that oftentimes, these mental conditions affect physical health, leading to worsening heart diseases and diabetes (Supreme Hospital, 2026). Sometimes, unexpressed emotions and stress tend to be translated into physical pain, such as headaches and ulcers. This evidence demonstrates the necessity of mental health regulation and the promotion of a positive environment in people’s day-to-day lives. 

Table 1: Key Global Mental Health Indicators

Source: World Health Organisation (WHO), Depressive Disorder Factsheets, 2025

Humour in the Digital Age

Humans have evolved not just in technological and material aspects, but also in how they express their emotions, especially humour. From jesters to internet jokes, humour has evolved into numerous forms of “content” in the digital age. With the rise of social media, comedy has become instantly accessible content that people consume today.

From memes and trolls to parodies and stand-up comedy, humour is created and consumed as entertainment in this era of technological consumerism by people of all ages and across spheres of life. It has been found that consuming humorous content helps reduce stress and anxiety among patients and the general public (Adam Rindfleisch, 2018). People consume such content as a coping mechanism to “temporarily escape” the emotional and psychological stress of dealing with their responsibilities and careers.

In this manner, humour has become a form of “collective consciousness” from which humorous content, such as references and inside jokes, is made in daily interactions in contemporary society, and it simultaneously shapes that society. It has significantly influenced the way people communicate and has a huge impact on how they perceive phenomena. Interestingly, humour has also become an instrument for commenting on a society’s socio-political and economic conditions through satire and parody. Here, humour is used to raise awareness of several societal issues and to spark laughter.

Thus, jokes and comedic content, unlike at any other time, have evolved from merely creating laughter; they have become tools to raise awareness, connect and socialise, and, more importantly, encourage activism to address a wide range of issues in modern society. 

Impact on Society

Humour has a vital role in several areas, such as healthcare, workplaces, schools and colleges, and society at large. Laughter has proven to be therapeutic and preventive in significantly reducing cortisol levels in individuals and lowering the risk of heart attack. Several reports suggest that hospital clowns and Clown Care Units (CCUs) often reduce patients’ stress, especially among children, help them maintain a stable, healthy mindset, and increase happiness among nursery care patients. It also improves cognitive function and emotional regulation among individuals who laugh regularly.

Laughing increases respiratory rate in individuals, which aids relaxation. Humour helps reduce stress levels, promote relaxation, and foster healthy relationships with others. Therapeutic humour is a medical practice that uses laughter and comedic interaction to promote emotional well-being and resilience. Thus, humour has a significant impact on the social, physiological, psychological and professional well-being of all individuals in society. 

Emerging Issues

The subject of humour may at times be unethical and disregard certain values, emotions, and beliefs. Jokes that deal with sensitive topics such as gender issues, human rights, and so on may turn such topics into humorous content that is offensive and hurtful. Similarly, comedic content, while trying to entertain, risks conveying misinformation and disinformation, which can lead to unnecessary consequences, especially when it addresses societal issues.

Often, people are targeted, mimicked, or trolled for entertainment purposes, but this crosses basic ethical boundaries and harms that person’s dignity. Some jokes use stereotypes based on gender, race, employment and nationality for entertainment, but when such jokes are spread continuously, they normalise and encourage biases and marginalisation of certain sections of society. With the internet in place and several social media applications in use, there are numerous cases of cyberbullying being registered across the globe.

Apart from these, mental health conditions are still stigmatised, and this results in many individuals avoiding seeking help when suffering from mental illness for fear of being alienated or discriminated against by others. On the other hand, people diagnosed with mental health illnesses continue to face discrimination in public spaces by people due to fear and ignorance. These are some of the severe challenges in the field of mental healthcare. 

Way Forward

So, International Joke Day is a strong reminder that laughter is a source of empathy, hope, and resilience, and that by embracing it, a society can cultivate stronger communal relations and promote collective well-being. Because humour is no longer just about entertainment, it is also about addressing social cohesion and individuals’ mental well-being.

As such, ‘International Joke Day’ could be officially recognised to acknowledge the importance of laughter for the well-being of individuals. This day could be incorporated by creating a healthy environment for people from all spheres of life. It can be done by creating more awareness and encouraging open conversations about mental health and illnesses, and further by preventing discrimination and stigmatisation of individuals in society. Schools could introduce “laughter yoga exercises” and encourage light-hearted activities that engage the students to create, laugh and learn.

The schools could also create awareness about mental health and counselling for students who require support in regulating their mental health. Similarly, workspaces could promote “movie hour” at regular intervals and host classic comedy programs or movies and also introduce “laugh zones” which people can visit during lunch hours to have fun-filled and light-hearted conversations while taking a break from continuous working and relieve stress exhaustion. 

Digital media platforms must take actions to promote respectful humour and prevent the spread of hate, disinformation, and cyberbullying. Social mdia platforms could make algorithmic adjustments in a manner that promotes respectful and healthy humourous content while curbing and removing content that spread hatred, stereotypes, marginalisation and misinformation. Humour is a powerful tool that bridges several aspects of society. It can bridge cultural and social differences, strengthen relations, promote physiological and psychological well-being, all while providing entertainment. 

Referrences

• 2025, “Depressive Disorder Factsheets,” World Health Organisation: https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
• Kramer, C. K., & Leitao, C. B, 2023, “Laughter as medicine: A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventional studies evaluating the impact of spontaneous laughter on cortisol levels,” PloS one, 18(5), e0286260:  https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0286260
• Garvit, 2024, “Humor in the Digital Era: How Comedy Shapes Online Culture,” Medium: https://medium.com/@garvitj1205/humor-in-the-digital-era-how-comedy-shapes-online-culture-a54e85aa69e4
• Magomedova, A., & Fatima, G, 2025, “Mental Health and Well-Being in the Modern Era: A Comprehensive Review of Challenges and Interventions,” Cureus, 17(1), e77683: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.77683
• Adam Rindfleisch, 2018, “The Healing Benefits of Humor and Laughter,” Whole Health Library: https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/healing-benefits-humor-laughter.asp
• Murali Krishnan, 2026, “India: What’s driving the intense pressure on students?” Deutsche Welle: https://p.dw.com/p/5FvdB 
• Supreme Hospital, 2026, “The Link Between Depression and Heart Risk in Diabetes,” Supreme Hospitals: https://supremehospitals.in/depression-and-heart-risk-in-diabetes/

About the Contributor

Madhesh Raj P R is currently pursuing his Master’s in Political Science at Madras Christian College, Chennai. He is a Research and Editorial Intern at IMPRI, with a keen interest in governance and educational policies and aims to contribute meaningfully while expanding his research knowledge and skills.

Acknowledgement

The author extends his sincere gratitude to Ameya Sushilchandra Satam, Pallavi Lad and the IMPRI team for their invaluable guidance throughout the process.

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.

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