Evidence mapPaperPMID 41717167Full record

ReviewCureus2026

The Role of Humor and Self-Care in Longevity: A Systematic Review of Psychological and Behavioral Health Literature.

Aneta Toti, Zoe Konstanti, Konstantinos Baliotis, Stefanos Mantzoukas, Mary Gouva, Michael Kourakos

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Aneta TotiResearch Laboratory Psychology of Patients, Families and Health Professionals, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.
Zoe KonstantiResearch Laboratory Psychology of Patients, Families and Health Professionals, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.
Konstantinos BaliotisResearch Laboratory Psychology of Patients, Families and Health Professionals, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.
Stefanos MantzoukasResearch Laboratory Psychology of Patients, Families and Health Professionals, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.
Mary GouvaResearch Laboratory Psychology of Patients, Families and Health Professionals, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.
Michael KourakosResearch Laboratory Psychology of Patients, Families and Health Professionals, Department of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GRC.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A complex interplay between behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors influences longevity. According to recent studies, psychological determinants, humor and self-care in particular, are crucial for fostering health and prolonging life. Evidence about the function of humor and self-care as psychological coping strategies that may promote longevity is compiled in this systematic review. A thorough search for peer-reviewed research published between January 2000 and March 2024 was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. Both qualitative and quantitative studies examining the relationships between humor, self-care behaviors, and longevity-related health outcomes were eligible. After screening 742 records in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. Across the included studies, humor was consistently associated with reduced psychological stress, improved psychological well-being, enhanced immune and cardiovascular markers, and, in some longitudinal cohorts, lower mortality risk. Self-care practices, including mindfulness, physical activity, adequate sleep, and social engagement, were associated with reduced allostatic load, greater psychological resilience, and better functional and cardiometabolic health. These psychological elements may work in concert to promote healthy aging trajectories by acting as protective barriers against long-term stress and age-related decline. This review emphasizes the promise of self-care and humor as accessible, low-cost strategies for improving well-being and supporting healthy aging; however, further longitudinal and experimental research is required to establish causality and clarify underlying biological and psychological mechanisms.

Indexed as

longevitymental healthpsychological resiliencequality of lifewell-being

Identifiers

PMID41717167
PMCPMC12914586

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.