‘No-brainer’ to fund comedy on prescription to aid mental health, MPs hear

Funding “comedy-on-prescription” is a “no-brainer”, MPs have heard, as initial feedback suggests trials of the scheme had a positive impact on people’s mental health.

Craic Health secured funding for its social prescribing scheme which uses comedy-based interventions, such as stand-up shows and workshops, to help people who are lonely, isolated and vulnerable get involved in community events.

Labour MP Dr Simon Opher, who helped pioneer social prescriptions in Gloucestershire, has championed the scheme and hopes to ensure comedy can become more “mainstream in terms of NHS treatment” as an alternative to antidepressants in cases of mild symptoms.

Lu Jackson, the founder of Craic, said responses from surveys completed by those involved in the first five events held between December and March in London had been positive, with nearly all wanting to attend more.

The tech company is looking at whether its “comedy-on-prescription” approach can help reduce England’s mental ill health costs in line with other social prescribing schemes.

NHS figures show 8.7 million people in England took antidepressants in 2023/24, an increase of 2.1% compared with 2022/23.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) guidelines say antidepressants should not be routinely offered as the first treatment for less severe depression unless it is the person’s preference.

The One Westminster charity provided a £5,000 grant for Craic’s project and Westminster libraries offered their facilities for the initial events.

One Westminster’s acting chief executive Shelley Reynolds, speaking at an event in Parliament to discuss the trials and the comedy industry, said: “It was something that was different, we knew that it would work, we didn’t need to see evaluations and outcome reports and numbers and things on a chart to say that works.

“We know if you laugh you feel better so it was a bit of a no-brainer to fund Craic with our little pot of money from the Westminster communities grant.”

Vic Thake, from Westminster libraries, said a “light went on” when she heard about the comedy-on-prescription project and how it could help underrepresented communities, including older people and those who are homeless.

What's happening here is a connection between people that have to come together in order to address this absolute tsunami of mental health

She said: “I just thought it was the most amazing idea and something that we could really do that’s quite ground-breaking, not only for libraries but for the comedy industry and for the health and wellbeing of our communities.”

Ms Thake added about the trials: “The plan was formed, it went well and we want to do more of it.”

Ms Jackson said: “Before the event people were saying they were feeling 3.8 out of six and they were leaving at 5.4 out of six, so that’s about a 44% increase in how they felt.”

She added: “In terms of our future event interest, 98% people are interested and the likelihood of coming to more events was 92%.”

A total of 56 participants completed forms but children who took part in family events were not asked to do so.

Stroud MP Dr Opher said: “Antidepressants are fantastic medicines and I’ve seen really great results and some people really, really do well, but one in five of the adult population are on these tablets.

“We need to offer something different to people with mild symptoms. The trouble is you go to the doctor, the doctor has 10 minutes with you, you’re referred to a psychologist, you have a six-month wait, there’s nothing really they can do so they often prescribe for a lack of other alternatives.”

Dr Opher said social prescribing allows a different approach, adding: “I’m not saying comedy is going to solve all our emotional problems in this country, and that is certainly far too trite and I really acknowledge that some people really require antidepressants, I must be quite serious on that point.

“However, my feeling is we need to try different things first.”

Dr Opher went on: “What I’d really, really like to do is to start getting comedy a bit more sort of mainstream in terms of NHS treatment.”

Comedian Jojo Sutherland, founder of Stand Up and Be Counted, said: “What’s happening here is a connection between people that have to come together in order to address this absolute tsunami of mental health that is coming down the river to hit us.

“The idea that there’s 8.7 million people on antidepressants is appalling.”

She said many of the best comedians talk about their experiences of addiction, trauma, abuse, depression and suicidal tendencies, adding: “That’s why comedy is so ideally placed to actually work with people in the community.”

Ryan Renehan, a social prescriber from One Westminster involved in the project, said social prescribing can help people rediscover things they enjoy and foster connections in the community.

He said: “A good analogy I like to think about is if you picture yourself in a room in the dark and there isn’t any light in there, you might think social prescribing’s role is to turn on the lights for them, but it’s not, it’s to help them find that switch for themselves.

“And in the future when they’re in another room where there isn’t any light, they can reach out and look for that switch themselves.”