The Impact Social Prescribing has on Individuals’ Mental Health and Wellbeing

Abstract

Social Prescribing (SP) is primarily used for connecting people to non-medical sources of support or resources within their community and has evolved over the last decade, gaining considerable attention in recent years. This is a person-centred approach and the support from third sector organisations is crucial for it to succeed. Current literature is examined on what impact SP may have on individuals’ mental health and wellbeing and identify recommendations for future research. The review will form both the proposed research design and the planned activities thereafter. Previous research has evidenced that SP has a positive impact on individuals’ mental health and wellbeing and is most effective within socially deprived areas, incorporating the social determinants of health. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) (2020) figures show Inverclyde as the most deprived area in Scotland, therefore the proposed research should be carried out in this priority area. The combination of SWEMWBS and the Wellbeing Star will be utilised to capture both qualitative and quantitative data, over an 18 month period, with the aim to gather further evidence into the effectiveness of SP in improving individuals’ mental health and wellbeing.