Relation between humor styles and psychopathological symptoms in healthcare professionals: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Being a healthcare professional often involves exposure to complex situations that can contribute to the development of psychological problems. Evidence suggests that both mental and physical health are crucial for the well-being of these professionals, which in turn influences the quality of care they provide to patients. The main aim of this study was to examine the association between adaptive and maladaptive forms of humor and psychopathological disorders among healthcare workers. Methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive correlational design was employed. The participants consisted of 250 healthcare professionals at a general hospital. Humor styles and the presence of psychological and psychosomatic symptoms were assessed. Data were collected using the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ), the Short Checklist of Symptoms (LSB-50), and sociodemographic information. Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were conducted. Results: Healthcare professionals were more inclined to use affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles compared to self-defeating and aggressive humor. Affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles were negatively correlated with psychological symptoms, whereas aggressive humor and, to a lesser extent, self-defeating humor styles showed a significantly positive correlation with most psychological symptoms. Regression analysis revealed that positive humor styles negatively predicted all severity indices of the LSB-50. In contrast, negative humor styles, particularly self-defeating humor, positively predicted the severity indices. Being female, working night shifts, and having temporary contracts were positive predictors of most global indices of the LSB-50. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of considering different types of humor as a potential strategy for improving the mental health of healthcare professionals, as well as the influence of other independent variables related to their personal and work environment. Positive humor styles, specifically affiliative and self-enhancing humor, are associated with a lower prevalence of psychological symptoms among healthcare professionals. Negative humor styles are correlated with a higher prevalence of these symptoms.