New study: rehabilitation of patients benefit as much swearing?

Stuck in the hospital? Go ahead, drop an expletive or two – it might make you feel better, according to a new study.

Swearing can provide an emotional catharsis and even a bonding opportunity between doctors and patients in hospitals, according to the research.

"Swearing always has to be used very tactfully, because it is a very intense communication," said study co-author Daniel Zimmerman, a staff psychiatrist at a hospital in New York. "It can easily scare or overwhelm."

They found sometimes doctors used what might be considered unprofessional language to build bonds with patients. In one case study, an unemployed blue-collar patient displayed bitterness toward his doctors for knowing "jack-shit" about his life and telling him what to do. One doctor realized he needed the patient to see him as an ally, not an authority figure. So he responded, "Gosh, I know just how you feel. I'm a doctor-in-training and my boss always orders me around. Believe me, I'm not just some asshole who's here to get his kicks telling you what to do."

By speaking to the patient at his level, the researchers wrote, the doctor gained the man's trust. It's a method that requires doctors to respond to the patient's cues and carefully consider how helpful the offensive language might be, Zimmerman said.