Exploring the components and impact of social prescribing
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-06-2014-0027 |
| Date | 21 September 2015 |
| Published date | 21 September 2015 |
| Pages | 127-134 |
| Author | Alexis Kilgarriff-Foster,Alicia O'Cathain |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Public mental health |
Exploring the components and impact
of social prescribing
Alexis Kilgarriff-Foster and Alicia O’Cathain
Alexis Kilgarriff-Foster is
Research Associate at School
of Health and Related
Research, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Professor Alicia O’Cathain is
based at School of Health and
Related Research, University of
Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Abstract
Purpose –Social prescribing are short-term intermediary services that facilitate patients with psychosocial
needs to engage in non-clinical support. However, little is known about the components and potential impact
of social prescribing. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach –A review was conducted to explore the evidence based on social
prescribing including mapping its key components and potential impact. Database, internet and hand
searching was utilised to identify relevant studies. Data extraction and narrative analysis was undertaken to
explore the issues.
Findings –In total, 24 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies were diverse in their methodologies
and the services evaluated. Stakeholders such as general practitioners and patients perceived that social
prescribing increased patients’mental well-being and decreased health service use. However, the
quantitative evidence supporting this was limited. The only randomised-controlled trial showed a decrease in
symptoms and increase in functional well-being at four months. The other non-controlled designs had large
drop-out rates limiting their value in determining effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications –Furtherresearch is neededon the effectivenessand cost-effectiveness
of social prescribing using robust evaluative designs.
Originality/value –This is the first review of generic social prescribing services focusing on the general
evidence base.
Keywords Social support, Community referral, Psychosocial needs, Social prescribing,
Short-term intermediary services, Non-clinical support
Paper type General review
1. Introduction
General practitioners (GPs) report that over 20 per cent of consultations involve dealing with
patients’psychosocial needs (Zantinge et al., 2005). Psychosocial needs are emotional, social or
psychological needs which may detrimentally affect a patient’s health; for example, social
isolation or low self-esteem. GPs can feel unable to manage these because of time constraints,
a limited knowledge of available support and because referral to traditional psychological
services may not be appropriate (Zantinge et al., 2005).
Policies such as “Saving lives: our healthier nation”(Department of Health, 1999) advocate
utilising community support structures to help manage psychosocial problems. In part, this is
motivated by the need for the National Health Service (NHS) to develop alternatives to clinical
primary care services because of increased demand and budgetary freezes (Curry et al., 2011).
However, it also reflects current strategies which encourage patients to develop
self-management techniques such as good social support (Gallant, 2003). One such
intervention is social prescribing, which helps patients to access non-clinical sources of
support primarily, but not exclusively, within the community sector (South et al., 2008).
Received 3 June 2014
Revised 4 October 2014
Accepted 22 January 2015
The scoping review was
conducted by the authors as part
of their employment at the School
of Health and Related Research,
University of Sheffield.
DOI 10.1108/JPMH-06-2014-0027 VOL. 14 NO. 3 2015, pp. 127-134, © Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729
j
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTALHEALTH
j
PAG E 12 7
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