Can humour be part of healing? Using humour as a safety valve to deal with health and illness is a subject for serious study, says Liverpool's Comedy Trust.

Byline: Peter Elson reports

THE comedian Jasper Carrott once observed that the Germans actually had a word for the enjoyment of other people's misfortunes: schadenfraude.

In Britain, he added, we call it Crimewatch UK.

The rich vein of upset and accident has been long mined by comics and comedy writers, not least in matters of health and hospitals.

I recall watching a Two Ronnies sketch which was a spoof on a government information film about good practice in bandaging hospital patients.

I just about kept control while watching a man who was bandaged so tightly he couldn't quite lift his cup of tea to his lips. Another patient was bandaged so badly that his armstuck out.

When he was pushed in wheelchair along a pavement, the protruding armbanged along iron railings like a human xylophone.

I laughed so much that I fell off the sofa and sprained my wrist, thereby receiving my due punishment for laughing at disadvantaged people's adversities, albeit fictional ones.

But humour can be used for the greater good in health and learning, as will be demonstrated by Liverpool's Comedy Trust when it hosts an international conference next Monday.

Laughing Matters will debate the use of humour, laughter and comedy in health and learning, as part of the Liverpool Comedy Festival.

Even the romantic poet, Lord Byron, not well - known for his comedic qualities, had an opinion on this matter, saying: "Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine."

So how does laughter help? Scientists have long researched the effects of laughter for many years.

According to the boffins, benefits include: the release of endorphins, which give us the "feel good factor", acting as an aerobic exercise (just like mental or internal jogging), unleashing inhibitions and breaking down barriers.

Shared laughter is a great team-building tool, leading to better communication. This in turn helps boost our immune system to fight disease, tone muscles, improve respiration and circulation.

It also encourages positive thinking, clarity and creativity and relaxes the whole body by reducing stress and tension.

Committed to researching this area further, The Comedy Trust is involved in arts in health projects, research studies, practical sessions, seminars and conferences.

The Comedy Trust ran its first Conference as part of the Liverpool Comedy Festival in 2005 at Hope University in Everton, called Is Laughter the Best medicine?

It gave health practitioners, doctors, academics, educationalists and people with an interest in this area an opportunity to listen to research about the benefits of laughter to health and well-being and to experience a practical laughter session.

Following this successful event, The Comedy Trust hosted another day-long conference Can Laughing Make You Happier & Healthier? at the Royal Court Theatre, during the 2006 Liverpool Comedy Festival.

This Conference explored the science of comedy, from ways in which laughter can reduce stress to how humour in the workplace creates happier, healthier workers.

Conference speakers included Willibald Ruch, from Zurich University's Department of Psychology, and author of over 50 studies on humour and cheerfulness - which sounds like the basis of a Woody Allen sketch.

"This year, we're bringing learning into the debate and widened our range of speakers from not only the UK but the US as well," says education coordinator Jenny Liddy, The Comedy Trust community manager.

The speakers include Nurse Helen Iggulden, a lecturer in nursing at Salford University.

She'll be talking about the use of spontaneous humour from relationships she's observed in hospital wards, with a presentation that asks if we're about laughing at, or laughing with patients.

Patty Wooten is a US nursehumorist, renowned worldwide for her talks on humour and health. She will discuss how laughter can be therapy for both patients and carers, plus how to implement humour in a work situation.

"In the work we do for The Comedy Trust throughout the year, we're delivering projects on these subjects so you get to know the people doing this kind of work who would make great conference speakers," says Jenny.

The Comedy Trust also regularly delivers humour and laughter-based workshops in hospitals, primary health trusts, schools, health and community centres, sheltered housing and businesses with both users and providers.

Experience it can draw on includes its work from 2005 at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, which included a staff development day exploring stand-up comedy with the Play Specialist team.

Workshops explored comedy and stand up in both the hospital canteen area and in ward-based sessions with smaller groups of children and young people, including the oncology department.

Stuart Smith, Liverpool City Council's executive director for children's services, will give an overview for health and wellbeing for young people.

"Some of the talks are funny, but the very subject has a serious side even though it's lighthearted.

The speakers are not entertainers or clowns, but sharing their experiences on the use of humour," says Jenny.

There will also be a performance from Spike Theatre, called Time Gentlemen Please, commissioned by Knowsley Primary Care Trust.

Spike Theatre's brief was to devise and performa show that could be toured around men's social clubs, dealing with testicular cancer issues..

"This is a good example of a serious subject handled in a clever and humorous manner," says Jenny.

LAUGHING Matters takes place on Monday, June 18, at the LACE Conference Centre, Sefton Park, Liverpool. For further information, tel: [phone]; or email conference @liverpool comedyfestival to receive a booking form; or write to Conference, The Comedy Trust, PO Box 1127, Liverpool, L69 3TL.

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CAPTION(S):

The Spike Theatre company in their specially commissioned show, Time Gentlemen Please; Helen Iggulden; Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams make illness comical in the Carry On films