‘If I didn't laugh, I would cry’: a qualitative study of older adults' humour experiences: associations with gender and well-being

The purpose of this study was to explore older adults' (60+) perceptions and experiences of humour, whilst also examining how responses varied based on gender and well-being scores. Data for this study consisted of audio-recorded, transcribed interviews with 20 older adults. Qualitative coding of the interviews was used to extract themes that highlighted different experiences and perceptions of humour across men and women with varying well-being. The analysis identified six main themes: perceived importance and functionality of humour, older adults' interactions with humour, frequency of humour, acceptability and adaptability of humour, stereotypes and ageist jokes and the negatives of humour. The results suggest that humour plays a significant role in older adults' lives as a social function, a coping mechanism and a way of navigating the challenges of ageing. They also emphasise the complexities of humour in the lives of older adults, with gender, culture and well-being scores influencing their experiences and perceptions. Future research should involve a larger sample to further explore individual differences in older adults' humour experiences and perceptions, particularly investigating the potential of humour as an indicator of well-being.