Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026

Assessment and Communication for People with Disorders of Consciousness
Published on: August 1, 2017
Medical Clowning and Psychosis: A Case Report and Theoretical Review
Alex Gruber1, Raz Levin2, Pesach Lichtenberg2
1Psychodramatist, Dream Doctors Project, Israel Herzog Memorial Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
Abstract:
The medical clown has become an accepted therapeutic figure in non-psychiatric hospital departments in recent years. However, the potential role of the clown in psychiatry, especially for the treatment of psychosis, has not been investigated. We report here on the functioning of a medical clown in an inpatient psychiatric department. A program using psychodramatic group therapy techniques with the clown serving as moderator was developed. We describe the case of one individual diagnosed with schizophrenia who in the course of four and a half months of group therapy led by the medical clown was able to adopt a succession of surprising roles. This process may have contributed to the patient's remission. We discuss the special capacity of medical clowns to encourage communication and indulge in fantasy while returning to consensual reality. We suggest that this may have particular relevance in work with psychotic individuals.
More Related Videos
09:55Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
07:31Implementation of a Real-Time Psychosis Risk Detection and Alerting System Based on Electronic Health Records using CogStack
Published on: May 15, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within...
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes...
Personality Disorders: Paranoid and Schizoid
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is...
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy