Depressogenic traits and depression: Are humor styles mediators?

Abstract

Depressogenic traits are personality dispositions that put individuals at a higher risk for developing depression. Measured by the Depressive Experience Questionnaire (DEQ), self-criticism and dependency are two personality traits that are closely related to depression. The current study explored humor styles as potential mediating factors in the relationship between depressogenic traits and depression. Study 1: Given that the traditional Chinese version of the DEQ had not been validated psychometrically, we first conducted a confirmatory factor analysis to determine the most appropriate DEQ scoring system among the existing ones. The results indicated that the reconstructed DEQ had the best psychometric properties for the traditional Chinese version of the DEQ. Study 2: The potential mediating effect of humor styles in the relationship between depressogenic traits and depression was examined. Results showed that two benign humor styles, affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles, mediated the relationship between depressogenic traits (both self-criticism and dependency) and depression. The mediational strength was stronger for self-enhancing than for affiliative humor style. Malign humor styles, aggressive and self-defeating humor styles, did not emerge as mediators. Research and clinical implications for the findings were discussed.

The Relationship Between Humor Style and Death Anxiety of Palliative Care Patients

“…While self-enhancing and affiliative humor styles were found as positive predictors of death anxiety, aggressive and self-defeating humor styles were found as negative predictors. The findings of this study are also in line with the findings of studies stating that individuals who have a high level of humor and use humor constructively have lower levels of anxiety [23,26,27]. The findings show that patients with healthy and compatible humor styles, affiliative humor, and self-enhancing humor styles, also have less death anxiety, as well as tend to incompatible humor styles less.…”

“…Finally, the relationship between aggressive and self-defeating humor is positive and statistically significant (r=0.235; p<.01). A significant relationship was found between aggressive humor and selfdefeating humor styles because they are unhealthy and contain ridicule and humiliation [23,25]. These results support the hypothesis that compatible humor styles may related within themselves, and incompatible humor styles may be related within themselves [9,14,18].…”

“…Kuiper (2020) stated that affiliative humor, which is one of the compatible -positive humor styles, has a negative relationship with self-actualization and stress [18]. They state that humor positively affects physical health, creates a positive mood in individuals, significantly to mental health, and is an effective method for coping with the negative effects of anxiety [12,23].…”