Humor as a Coping Mechanism in Mitigating Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of humor as a coping mechanism for mitigating symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. A sample of 158 participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Humor as a Coping Mechanism scale, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Descriptive statistics indicated moderate to high humor usage (M = 80.04, SD = 12.52) and moderate levels of psychological distress (M = 45.91, SD = 12.21). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a weak, negative, and non-significant association between humor use and distress levels (r = –.036, p = .655), suggesting that greater humor use was not significantly related to lower depression, anxiety, or stress. Regression analysis further demonstrated that humor was not a significant predictor of distress (β = –.036, p = .655), and the model explained only 0.1% of the variance (R² = .001). Despite the non-significant findings, participants reported subjective benefits of humor in enhancing emotional resilience and temporarily alleviating stress. These results imply that humor, while psychologically beneficial in providing emotional relief, may not independently reduce clinical symptoms of distress. Limitations include reliance on self-report measures, potential response biases, and sample homogeneity. Future research is recommended to explore differential effects of various humor styles and to assess humor's role in combination with other coping strategies across diverse populations. Overall, humor presents as an accessible and low-cost tool to support emotional resilience but should be integrated thoughtfully within broader mental health interventions.