Coping and social anxiety in adolescents: Parallel mediation of humor styles

This study explores the relationships between humor styles, coping strategies, and social anxiety among adolescents, with a sample of 412 high school students (222 females, 190 males). Data were collected using the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents, Humor Styles Questionnaire, Kidcope Adolescent Version, and a Personal Information Form. Results show significant negative correlations between social anxiety and affiliative, aggressive, and self-enhancing humor styles, while a positive correlation is found with self-defeating humor. Negative and avoidant coping strategies are positively linked to social anxiety, whereas active coping shows a negative correlation. Mediation analyses reveal that affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles mediate the relationship between active coping and social anxiety, while self-defeating humor mediates the link between avoidant coping and social anxiety. On the other hand, the relationship between negative coping and social anxiety is mediated by self-defeating and aggressive humor. These findings highlight the dual role of humor as both protective and risky in adolescents' psychological well-being, stressing the need to foster constructive humor styles and coping strategies to reduce social anxiety.