Although not an empirical study with numbers, Norman Cousins (editor of, among other things, the Saturday Evening Post) was convinced that humor was a major factor in causing a life threatening cancer to go into remission, and wrote about it

That's interesting  Lewis - the fact is I heard a piece of music by John Barry a classical music film score, I immediately burst into tears yet I was perfectly happy -it took me back 15 years to the time I first heard it when I was depressed teenager and my emotions were transported immediately to that time - I want to discover are we all wired this way? I have always been a musical person passionate and emotive but the sudden reversal of my mood state and I'm a grounded happy person -shocked me. Is it possible that we can utilise music to recreate the reverse to those suffering depressive disorders -I would prefer doctors hand out CD,'s than zoloft.

Hi Holly,

Neuroscientists would have good explanations for what you experienced. Different psychotherapeutic approaches would explicate your experience differently and offer diverse ways to handle it.

I've used some music therapy and media (e.g., computer games, sports, activities, etc.) as a means to connect with and relate to adolescents, but music therapists use music for treatment. Please click the attached links for some articles on the treatment of PTSD and for the resources provided by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).

Best,

Stephen

http://blueheronmt.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/FULL-Drumming-through-trauma-2008.pdf

http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/TheBonnyMethodofGuidedImageryandMusicintheTxOfPTSDwAdultsPsychSetting.pdf

http://www.musictherapy.org/research/factsheets/

Thank you so much Stephen those articles are very interesting - It is clear that music therapy is a well documented therapeutic treatment with much success, yet, not something your average MD in the UK could prescribe as a treatment, unfortunately anti depressants are seemingly so much easier to dish out, and MD's are incentivised by pharmaceutical companies to do so!   I am trying to use music as a preventative medicine to those who have witnessed trauma (but before PTSD manifests) if that makes sense - particularly humour, and humourous music :)  Thank you for taking the trouble to help me in my quest :)  H

I assume you're familiar with the website of the British Association for Music Therapy (BAMT), Holly. Your idea of preventing PTSD through humorous music is very interesting. Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), used funny songs to help his clients to deal with their "irrational" thinking and some psychotherapists have followed his lead. Best to you in your pursuit,

Stephen

http://www.bamt.org/music-therapy/music-therapy-in-the-uk.html

Thank you Stephen, yes I am aware of music therapy and the BAMT - I must hunt out Albert Ellis's work, as that is exactly what I am trying to use "comedic music" but specifically ones that have universal appeal so known by most age groups and are culturally appropriate :)  The fact is, music is a very easily delivered treatment does not require the carrying out of tasks, therefore also useful for physically and mentally disabled, explicit or implicit - My experiment is in the planning stage - I will hopefully have some significant results later in the year :)  I really appreciate all of your comments,Stephen, Lewis, Maxim and Pardis -  if you stumble across anything suitable please do let me know . Regards

Holly :) 

Research shows that belly laughing for 3 minutes every day is equal to a 20 minute cardio workout.

Research also shows there is truth in the cliché "music sooths the savage beast".

However, I don't know of any research that demonstrates the impact of music or laughter on PTSD.  My experience has been that people w/PTSD are unable to laugh (i.e. the happy laughter that heals) & the soothing music that works on stress related illnesses has triggered temper explosions in clients w/PTSD.

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/PTSD-overview/dsm5_ criteria_ptsd.asp is a link that has info on PTSD, specifically for veterens of post-9/11 terrorist attack.  In the DSM-V, some of the symptoms include: depression, anxiety, hypervigilance, exaggerated startle responses rage, sleep disturbances, dissociative flashbacks, traumatic nightmares, avoidance of triggers even when they are unknown, dissociative amnesia, persistent & distorted negative beliefs about oneself, negative, trauma-related emotions—fear, anger, shame, diminished interest in significant pre-traumatic activities (depression), feelings of alienation, anhedonia (the inability to feel happy, light-hearted, good--any of the feelings of a positive nature).

Hope this helps.  Good luck!  I'll be interested to know if you give the laughter &/or music a try & what the results were.

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/PTSD-overview/dsm5_ criteria_ptsd.asp

thanks Denise, I am indeed conducting a study right now :) Thank you for your interest I will post results when I get them, while be a little while though :)

Hi Holly, I look forward to those results!  Have fun w/your research.