[Article] Comedy on 'prescription': Why performing stand-up is good for your health
In the UK, new schemes to support mental health are introducing to people an unexpected skill: stand-up comedy.
Mohan Gupta had never dreamed of becoming a comedian. Born in India and educated in the UK, he trained as engineer and, later, a monk. "I never in my life thought I would make anyone laugh," he says.
But a few years ago, after suffering a nervous breakdown, Gupta's doctors prescribed him something unusual: a stand-up comedy course.
Laughter has long been linked to a variety of health gains: it can both reduce stress, and increase immunity, focus, and cardiovascular function. Yet research now suggests that not just consuming comedy, but actively creating it – especially in a group setting – can offer significant benefits to mental health in particular.
In the UK, new programmes are beginning to use stand-up comedy lessons to help people in distress. They come as part of a larger global movement of social prescribing: a process through which health workers refer patients to non-clinical, community-based resources and activities, as a way to both improve patients' long-term health and reduce pressure on healthcare.
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By
BBC
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Published
Dec 18, 2025
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Subject Area
- Health & Wellness - Cognitive & Mental
- Social Prescribing
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Audience
- Caregivers, Seniors & Volunteers
- Service Providers (Non-profits, Community Organizations, Local government)
- Volunteer Coordinators/Leaders
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Category
- Impact Stories
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