D.A. SHUNENKOV, A.V. KHUDYAKOV

Ivanovo State Medical Academy, Ivanovo, Russian Federation

  Contact details:

Shunenkov D.A. – post-graduate student of the Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Psychotherapy

Address: 8 Sheremetevskiy Prospekt, Ivanovo, Russian Federation, 153012, e-mail: [email protected]

 The research objective was to study the features of fear of being laughed at (gelotophobia) in patients with neurotic mental disorders.

Materials and methods. The study included 73 patients with non-psychotic mental disorders. They were examined using PhoPhiKat <30> questionnaire; questionnaire of social anxiety and social phobia; Martin’s Humor Styles Questionnaire; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; questionnaire on the severity of self-stigma (ISMI-9); TOBOL method (type of attitude to the disease).

The results of the study confirmed that the prevalence of gelotophobia among the studied group of patients is higher than in the sample of mentally healthy individuals. A strong link between gelotophobia and social anxiety was confirmed. Patients with high values ​​of gelotophobia are characterized in general by maladaptive patterns of the disease perception. Gelotophobia is more pronounced in organic disorders than in functional ones and in persons with secondary education in comparison with persons with higher education. In addition, gelotophobia in widowed persons is more pronounced in comparison with those with a permanent partner.

Conclusion. Thus, gelotophobia among individuals with neurotic disorders is quite high and has certain features. Studies of gelotophobia in these patients are relevant, since they may improve the diagnosing of features of humor and attitude to it, and to construct programs for psychological correction and comprehensive therapy for the pathological fear of being laughed at.

Key words: gelotophobia, the fear of being laughed at, non-psychotic mental disorders, boundary mental disorders, humor, laughter.

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