The positive impact of social prescribing on mental wellbeing

Social prescribing may seem like a relatively new term, and whilst, indeed, some health practitioners are not fully aware of the benefits, the system of prescribing non-medicalised activities in local communities does have quite a long history.

Dating back to the early 1980s, the National Health Service (NHS) have trialled various schemes over the years, before incorporating social prescribing into their Long Term Plan in 2019. It’s estimated by the NHS that over 60% of clinical commissioning groups in England now have social prescribing schemes in place.

How Does It Work?

The nature of social prescribing varies depending on the location and there are a few different models, but the core concept remains the same; Health professionals such as GPs (social and charity workers too) can refer people to a ‘link worker’, sometimes called a community connector, or health adviser, who can then refer people to an appropriate scheme, activity, or group that can meet their needs better than primary health care can. The types of activities available for people accessing social prescribing services are vast and can range from gardening to befriending services. Activities are usually provided within the community and are mostly administered by charities, but private enterprises may also be involved in some areas. All activities prescribed are designed to help improve a person’s health and wellbeing, in ways that medicine can't.

Evidence suggests that when people have their emotional, practical, and health needs met within their community, they are more empowered, less likely to depend on medical care, and can actively work on their own health and wellness.

Impact On Mental Wellbeing

The goal of social prescribing has always been to ease pressure on medical services and reduce care costs – essentially, help ease pressure on the NHS and reduce the number of people accessing the service that don’t need medical care but have complex needs that would be better met elsewhere.

For people accessing social prescribing services, the benefits can be tremendous with the focus being on empowering people to be more proactive when it comes to improving their health, particularly their mental health. It has long been known that there is a link between physical health and mental health, for some people, particularly those with chronic conditions, the line between the two can become blurred, and these people must have their needs met more holistically.

The type of people using social prescribing services are very varied and includes people that have mental illnesses, long-term complex health conditions, and those that are isolated either through illness, disability, or other social factors.

based charity Together Co helps connect people to places and other people, increasing their social connections, and ultimately, their wellbeing.

There is evidence that these schemes are very effective. For example, a Shropshire scheme reported in 2019 that participants reported significant improvements in measures of wellbeing and loneliness. An older project carried out in Bristol reported improvements in anxiety felt by participants, feelings about their health and overall quality of life.

Although social prescribing services can be practical – signposting people to welfare support and helping with independent living, the major need fulfilled by most services is wellbeing. Complex emotional needs are often difficult to treat by primary health services, but social prescribing schemes provide access to a wide range of schemes such as community gardens, cooking groups, art therapies, and ways to keep active such as swimming or gym access.

For some people, their wellness needs can be effectively met by just having someone to talk to and expanding their social network. For example, Brighton

Exercise based schemes can also be effective at increasing wellbeing – there are extremely strong links between physical activity and wellbeing, but for some people, accessing traditional forms of exercise, such as a gym, can be difficult for multiple, often complex reasons.

One centre in Sussex is hoping to change that and welcome a more diverse range of people to their inclusive space – VIM Health has an accessible gym that welcomes people with disabilities and chronic conditions. The gym features accessible equipment and the team are currently busy forming social prescribing links in their surrounding area so that they can welcome even more people to the gym community.

Overall, social prescribing is becoming more prominent in the public eye, as are the health and mental wellbeing benefits associated with it. Schemes have been widely adopted right around the UK and these will continue to increase in importance, particularly following the Covid pandemic which has left many struggling with the long-term effects of long Covid.