The Mediating Role of Anxiety in the Relationship Between Humor Coping and Secondary Traumatic Stress

Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology Vol.7 Issue.1

Doi:10.35365/ctjpp.25.1.02

RESEARCH ARTICLE / ARAŞTIRMA YAZISI

The Mediating Role of Anxiety in the Relationship Between Humor Coping and Secondary Traumatic Stress

İkincil Travmatik Stres ve Mizah Yoluyla Başa Çıkma Arasındaki İlişkide Kaygının Aracı Rolü

Aybüke İrem Saylam¹, Ahmet Sapancı²

Abstract:

This study examined the role of anxiety in mediating the relationship between humor coping and secondary traumatic stress. A predictive correlational model was employed to conduct the research. The study included 581 participants aged 18 to 65, comprising 408 females and 173 males. Data were collected using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, the Humor Coping Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Scale. The analyses were conducted using SPSS Process Hayes Macro. The results indicated that female participants exhibited higher levels of secondary traumatic stress, state anxiety, and trait anxiety compared to male participants. However, their levels of humor coping did not differ significantly. The findings further revealed that humor coping did not have a statistically significant direct effect on secondary traumatic stress. Instead, it reduced state and trait anxiety levels, which in turn mitigated secondary traumatic stress. Additionally, trait anxiety emerged as a stronger mediating factor than state anxiety. These findings suggest that humor is an effective coping mechanism, with anxiety playing a crucial role in the process.

Keywords: Humor Coping, Secondary Traumatic Stress, State Anxiety, Trait Anxiety, Mediating Role

¹RA., Dokuz Eylül University, Institute of Social Sciences, Clinical Psychology, Izmir, Türkiye, E-mail: [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0716-7527

²Asst. Prof., Düzce University, Faculty of Education, Department of Guidance and Psychological Counseling, Düzce, Türkiye, E-mail: [email protected], https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4688-6890

Address of Correspondence/Yazışma Adresi: Ahmet Sapancı, Düzce University, Faculty of Education, Konuralp Campus, Orhangazi Mahallesi, 81620, Düzce, Türkiye, Email: [email protected]

Date of Received/Geliş Tarihi: 24.06.2024, Date of Revision/Düzeltme Tarihi: 19.11.2024, Date of Acceptance/Kabul Tarihi: 17.12.2024, Date of Online Publication/Çevirimiçi Yayın Tarihi: 20.03.2025

Citing/Referans Gösterimi: Şahin, A.İ, & Sapancı, A. (2025). The Mediating Role of Anxiety in the Relationship Between Humor Coping and Secondary Traumatic Stress, Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry & Psychology 7(1), 13-20

© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Cyprus Mental Health Institute / Cyprus Turkish Journal of Psychiatry and Psychology (www.ktppdergisi.com). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/