Laughter and mental health: a case study of Merv Neal

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to engage with, and elicit insights from, Merv Neal, a laughter professional, on the use of laughter to benefit mental health. Design/methodology/approach This case study is presented in two sections: a biography of Merv Neal, followed by a ten-question interview with him. Findings Many insights on laughter are shared. Merv lists five benefits for mental health: laughter brings you into the present moment; laughter is a distraction; laughter breaks negative thought patterns; laughter silences the inner critical voice; and laughter brings joy. Research limitations/implications This is a personal narrative, albeit from someone who has professionally used laughter to support mental health issues for over 15 years. Practical implications Laughter can be beneficial to support mental health. More evidence for its impact on mental health is needed. Prescribing laughter has been largely overlooked as a way to harness laughter for mental health to date. Investigating how and when to prescribe laughter for mental health is recommended. Social implications Mental health issues can vary enormously, but loneliness is often involved. Encouraging social laughter is therefore important, including, surprisingly perhaps, by also practicing laughing alone. Laughter, accessible to all, presents itself as a free and easy way to support community mental health. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case study and interview with a long-standing laughter professional on the topic of laughter and mental health.

Is Laughter Really the Best Medicine? Reflecting on a Mental Health Initiative Using Pragmatic Collaborative Autoethnography

“…I record a Laughie each day to demonstrate how to do it. (Neal 2022a). And here I’m demonstrating how you laugh with it (Neal 2022b).…”

“…In this research, ICAE stimulated practical and collaborative communication to gain insight into this community-based mental health initiative. It also led to a citizen ethnography initiative (see Future Research), and a case study (Neal and Gonot-Schoupinsky 2022) in a series of otherwise academic case studies (e.g., Ben-Moshe and Gonot-Schoupinsky 2023; Berger and Gonot-Schoupinsky 2023). However, ICAE will not be suitable if the “invitee” is unwilling or unable to develop autoethnographic skills.…”

Laughter and mental health: a case study of Dr Madan Kataria

“…Freda first met Madan in 2023. We have seen in previous case studies (Neal and Gonot-Schoupinsky, 2022;Berger and Gonot-Schoupinsky, 2023;Ben-Moshe and Gonot-Schoupinsky, 2023) the wide-ranging potential of using laughter and humour to support mental health. Here, we dig deeper into the use of voluntary non-humour driven laughter.…”

Laughter, mental health and cancer: a case study of Ros Ben-Moshe

“…This is the third case study gathering expert insight on the use of laughter and humour to benefit mental health and other illnesses that impact it. Previously Merv Neal (Neal and Gonot-Schoupinsky, 2022), and Arthur Asa Berger (Berger and Gonot-Schoupinksy, 2022) recounted their life stories using an autoethnographic approach. Here we use the same design, originally inspired by the Zoe Riley case study (Riley and Carson, 2021).…”