Comedy classes could soon be prescribed on the NHS to help trauma patients ‘see the funny side’ of their experiences.
The Comedy on Referral scheme will allow patients to attend a free six-week course where they will write jokes based on their traumas and perform them on stage.
Professional comics will help deliver the sessions, which will be launched in Bristol later this month.
The course will be available to patients with maladies such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder as well as those struggling with experiences such as bereavement.
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The course will be available to patients with maladies such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder
Comedian Angie Belcher, who worked with health advisers to develop the course, said: ‘Comedy is a force for good and people do not realise how much it can change [their] lives.’
Miss Belcher, who is comedian in residence at Bristol University, said early results had suggested that the strategy was beneficial.
She added that the scheme could offer people a new perspective on their experiences and make them feel ‘six inches taller’.
Source: Daily Mail
