“Finding light in the darkness”: exploring comedy as an intervention for eating disorder recovery

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a stand-up comedy course to support ED recovery.The study used a qualitative interview study design to evaluate the recovery benefits of participating in stand-up comedy workshops for a pilot group of people in recovery from EDs (n = 10).The comedy intervention was well-attended and had high acceptability and feasibility. For most individuals, participating in the course had a positive impact, including promoting personal recovery (PR) outcomes across all five elements of the CHIME framework. Unique assets of the course included providing participants with an opportunity to distance themselves from everyday worries of living with an ED; the opportunity to cognitively reframe situations by making them the object of humour; and providing a safe space to (re-)build a positive sense of self.This is the first study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, that evaluates stand-up comedy workshops for ED recovery and further demonstrates the potential of arts interventions and the relevance of PR frameworks in this field.

Source: Mental Health Review Journal - January 5, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Dieter Declercq Eshika Kafle Jade Peters Sam Raby Dave Chawner James Blease Una Foye Source Type: research