Comedians are more likely to suffer from mental health issues Comedians such as Stephen Fry, Spike Milligan, Ruby Wax, Paul Merton and David Walliams have all talked openly about their experiences with mental health problems, the report said. Gordon Claridge, retired professor of the University of Oxford's department of experimental psychology who authored the report with undergraduate Victoria Ando, said: "Obviously not all comedians are like this, but the trend does seem these personality traits are more common. It is that idea of the sad clown. Those with bipolar disorder can be prone to comedy as it mimics the comic's ability to combine "ideas or categories of thought to form new and original connections." The questionnaire measured four personality aspects: unusual experiences - such as belief in telepathy and paranormal events - difficulty in focusing thoughts or distractibility, an avoidance of intimacy, and a tendency towards impulsive and anti-social behaviour. The comedians scored particularly high on personality traits such as being unsociable and depressive as well as more extrovert manic-like traits. The research found stand-up comedians were different from other stage performers such as actors, because they were more introverted. "These personality profiles could explain how each relates to their respective audiences and what motivates them to do so," it said. A total of 404 men and 119 women took part in the survey and were recruited from comedy clubs, agencies, associations and societies largely in the UK, US and Australia.