Trials to Test if Laughter Really is a Good Medicine
By Happiness Correspondent
TRIALS are taking place to see if "comedy-on-prescription" can help improve people's mental health, reduce NHS costs and offer alternatives to antidepressants.
Craic Health has secured funding for a project that uses stand-up comedy shows and workshops to assist people who experience isolation, loneliness, and vulnerability.
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According to NHS data, 8.7 million people in England were prescribed antidepressants in 2023/24, a 2.1% increase compared to the previous year.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend that antidepressants should not be the first option for treating mild depression unless preferred by the individual.
Craic Health founder Lu Jackson explained that comedy has a powerful impact on mental health.
She described it as a "cortisol decreaser, dopamine producer, and potent releaser of serotonin, endorphins, and good neuropeptides."
She added, "Attending a comedy workshop or watching a stand-up show, or even having a comedian teach kids to improvise and laugh at themselves, has a positive effect that can last up to 24 hours. Surely that's better than prescribing antidepressants."
In an era where stress, loneliness, and mental health challenges are at an all-time high, Craic - a nationwide events and comedy industry network platform - is pioneering Comedy-on-Prescription, a groundbreaking initiative harnessing the mental and social benefits of comedy to improve well-being.
Comedy has long been a universal language that brings people together.
Research proves that laughter has profound mental health benefits.
It reduces stress hormones like cortisol while boosting dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins - natural mood lifters. Socially, laughter fosters connection, helping to combat the rising tide of loneliness and isolation.
Recognising this, Craic is leading a cultural shift, making comedy more accessible to communities across the UK.
Through Comedy-on-Prescription, they aim to integrate comedy into well-being programs, offering an innovative approach to social prescribing an NHS-backed method of improving health through community-based activities.
With an ambitious vision to expand Comedy-on-Prescription nationwide, Craic hopes to revolutionise how we view mental health support proving that laughter truly is the best medicine.
The initiative has received support through a grant from the One Westminster charity, with Westminster libraries offering their venues for the initial events.
