There's a project getting comedy recognised as actual healthcare. We've always reckoned a good laugh does you good. Now there's the data to prove it.
We've always banged on about comedy being good for you. Turns out we weren't just saying it to sell tickets.
There's an outfit called Craic Health running something called Comedy-on-Prescription, and it's exactly what it sounds like: comedy used as a genuine wellbeing tool, on a pathway towards being recognised by the NHS. Not "have a chuckle and you'll feel better," but properly measured, with proper numbers.
And the numbers are striking. One pilot moved participants from below the UK average on the NHS's own wellbeing scale to above it - a 15% jump - with people feeling closer to others, more optimistic, and more useful. An earlier round saw almost 98% of people asking for more.
The reason it works is the bit we love most: comedy is low-stigma. People will give it a go even when they won't try therapy, and laughing together in a room makes you feel less alone. Which is, more or less, the entire point of Ballyrags.
So no, we're not a medical service. But every time a Ballyrags gig roars at a punchline, a room full of people forgets their troubles for a while. Call it a night out. Some clever folks are starting to call it medicine.
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