The Multifaceted Relationship Between Humor Styles and Psychological Well-being: Exploring Correlations with Symptom Dimensions and Mental Health Outcomes

Abstract

Introduction: Humor styles are associated with psychological well-being and various symptom dimensions, including depression, anxiety, negative self-concept, somatization, and hostility. Exploring these relationships is crucial for developing interventions to improve mental health. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between humor styles and psychological well-being, along with their associations with specific psychological symptoms. Methodology: A total of 248 participants (aged 18–65) were recruited via online platforms through snowball sampling. Participants completed the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Correlation and regression analyses were performed to assess the links between humor styles, well-being, and psychological symptoms. Results: Self-defeating humor was positively correlated with depression (r=0.287, p<0.01) and anxiety (r=0.268, p<0.01), while aggressive humor was correlated with anxiety (r=0.144, p<0.05) and hostility (r=0.162, p<0.05). Self-enhancing humor negatively correlated with hostility (r=-0.127, p<0.05). Regression models revealed self-enhancing and self-defeating humor significantly predicted psychological well-being (F=28.244, p<0.001), explaining 18.1% of the variance. Humor styles explained smaller variances in symptom dimensions, including Global Symptom Severity (1.9%), Positive Symptoms Total (0.7%), and Positive Symptom Distress Index (1.1%). Conclusion: Humor styles significantly influence psychological well-being and symptom dimensions. Self-enhancing humor promotes well-being, while self-defeating humor correlates with increased psychological distress. Future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal relationships and guide interventions.

Keywords

• Humor
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Psychological Well-Being

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