You’ve probably heard the phrase, “_________”. The comedy course—Comedy on Referral— has taken that idea and run with it, using stand-up comedy to help treat people struggling with trauma(精神创伤) and anxiety in partnership with the NHS(英国国家医疗服务体系).
The idea stemmed from comedian Angie Belcher’s experiences teaching comedy at Bristol University. She found that students often told her how much stronger and more resilient they were thanks to stand-up comedy. Inspired, she teamed up with the NHS in Bristol to create a six-week comedy course for patients struggling with trauma in January 2022. Following the success of this initial course, Comedy on Referral won NHS funding to help men at risk of suicide in London.
Belcher will work alongside psychologists and men who have experienced suicidal events to use comedy as a form of treatment. “Past traumas are perfect for comedy. Comedy doesn’t come from the happy, perfect moments of our life, but from our everyday struggles and major life events. People who’ve been through big life experiences often can’t wait to tell me their story, mostly because there’s always something weirdly(离奇地) funny about the situation,” said Belcher.
Laughter is good for us. Research has shown that laughter has positive psychological effects, such as decreasing levels of cortisol (the stress hormone) and increasing endorphins(内啡肽). It can even have physiological benefits, although less research has been done in this area. Current research has linked laughter and humour with increased levels of pain tolerance as well as short-term cardiovascular(心血管的) benefits. But more research is needed to provide evidence for these findings.
Nonetheless, the mental health benefits of regular laughter are widely agreed, and using comedy to treat mental health struggles could be a real breakthrough in the treatment of mental health.
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