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.