Anyone strolling across Parliament Hill in London on Saturday evening may have been alarmed to hear more than 200 people screaming their lungs out.
The shrieks were part of a new wellness trend that encourages people to vent their frustrations through collective screaming.
Mona Sharif, a former corporate lawyer who organised the event, said the concept challenged popular assumptions about self-improvement.
“The idea is that healing is kind of ugly. Trying to better yourself isn’t always glamorous as it’s portrayed on social media, so it’s in alignment with that,” she said. “It’s not a form of therapy but it’s a tool you can use to release frustration.”
The activity was inspired by “scream clubs” in the United States
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Sharif said she was recommended the unconventional technique by her therapist in 2023 and when she tried with her friend in a field she “felt way better”.
She was inspired to turn screaming into a community activity after seeing videos of “scream clubs” in the United States on social media.
• Scream therapy: howling into the void cured my stress
The London Scream Squad, founded by Sharif, advertised its first event on Primrose Hill in north London on October 10 via social media and drew a crowd of more than 600 people who screamed in unison for 15 minutes. After the success of its debut, Sharif organised a second event on Parliament Hill on Saturday after being prevented from holding a scream session in Hyde Park by the Royal Parks.
Mona Sharif hosting a London Scream Squad event
The London Scream Squad plans to expand its range of activities, including a “run and scream” in Battersea Park and collaborating with yoga and Pilates studios.
Those who attended the first two screaming events said it helped them release their anger over issues including their love lives, jobs and the housing market, according to Sharif.
“A lot of people have got back to me saying they found community in the event,” she said.
Primal scream therapy, developed by the psychologist Arthur Janov in the 1970s, is controversial among clinicians. Advocates argue it can be cathartic and empowering. Janov became a celebrity with his 1970 book The Primal Scream and his patients included John Lennon and Yoko Ono. There is little scientific evidence that screaming provides long-term mental health benefits.