The Relationship Between the Humor Styles of Nurses and Psychological Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period

Abstract

Background: The previous studies have revealed that the psychological state of nurses, who work in the front line, is negatively affected by the situations that created high pressure such as epidemics and disasters in the past.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine some characteristics that affect nurses' humor styles and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic period, and to determine the relationship between humor styles and psychological well-being.

Method: The research was conducted in a cross-sectional study. The sample of the study consists of 260 nurses from a city in eastern Turkey. The data have been collected by using a personal information form, the Humor Styles Scale, and the Psychological Well-Being Scale in the study. Frequency, arithmetic mean, minimum and maximum, correlation analysis t test in the independent groups, 1-way analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis test have been used in the analysis of the data. This study aligns with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist.

Results: It is determined that the mean age of the nurses is 28.35 ± 6.19 years, and the age range is between 20 and 47 years. It is determined that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between "self-improving humor" and "participatory humor," which are among the harmonious/positive humor styles of the nurses, and the total Psychological Well-Being Scale score (P < .05). It is determined that there is a statistically significant negative relationship between "aggressive humor," which is one of the inharmonious/negative humor styles, and the total Psychological Well-Being Scale score (P < .05).

Discussion: The results support that nurses' use of self-enhancing and participatory humor contributes to psychological well-being.