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Can laughter be the best medicine? improv comedy tested as an anxiety treatment.

NCT ID NCT07737821

Symptom relief Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 30, 2026 · Last updated Sep 04, 2026 · Updated 2 times

Summary

This trial tests whether a four-week improv comedy program can reduce anxiety and improve mental well-being in Chinese young adults in Hong Kong who have mild-to-moderate anxiety but no diagnosed mental disorder. Participants attend weekly three-hour improv workshops and complete questionnaires on anxiety and well-being. The study compares them to a waitlist group to see if improv offers real benefits.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a structured, group-based improv comedy program called Improv Against Anxiety (IAA), consisting of four weekly 3-hour sessions using improv games and exercises
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a low-cost, non-drug option for easing mild-to-moderate anxiety in young adults.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-stage trial with no blinding, so results may be influenced by expectation. The program is short and may not work for everyone.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 150 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Aug 2026

Expected to finish

Aug 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 29 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Ethnic Chinese, fluent in spoken Mandarin and able to read Chinese * Never married and without children * No current or past diagnosis of any mental disorder (e.g. anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders) * Mild to moderate anxiety symptoms (defined as a GAD-7 total score between 5 and 14) * No prior experience of formal performance training in drama * Availability to attend at least 3 out of 4 weekly sessions over the 4-week intervention period upon enrolment Exclusion Criteria: * Unstable or severe chronic physical illness that would contraindicate participation in group activities or light-to-moderate physical movement (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, severe asthma, acute cardiovascular events within the past 6 months) * Moderately severe to severe depression symptoms (defined as a PHQ-9 total score greater than 14) * Suicidal ideation (defined as a score greater than 0 on item 9 of the PHQ-9) * Potential risky drinking behavior (defined as AUDIT-C total score greater than 4)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

anxiety anxiety disorder mental disorder Psychological Well-Being

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Anxiety Mental health

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Centre on Behavioral Health, The University of Hong Kong

    RECRUITING

    Hong Kong, Hong Kong

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