The relationship between stress and the use of humour as a coping mechanism in nurses

Abstract

The present study focuses on the occupational health of nurses, investigating the relationship between dimensions of occupational burnout and the use of coping mechanisms through humor. To conduct the research, we used standardized assessment instruments to measure dimensions of occupational burnout and investigated how nurses resort to coping mechanisms through humor using the questionnaire method. Our results revealed significant correlations between certain dimensions of burnout and the use of coping mechanisms through humor. Mental detachment was positively associated with heavy use of humor as a coping strategy, indicating that nurses experiencing increased emotional exhaustion tend to turn more often to humor to cope with professional stress. This finding suggests that humour may play an important role in counteracting burnout. This research adds significantly to our understanding of nurses' occupational health and suggests that interventions focused on promoting the adaptive use of humour may be effective in reducing emotional exhaustion in this important profession.