The Social Psychology of Social Prescribing

Social Prescribing (SP) is a new method of health service delivery that aims to tackle the social needs of vulnerable populations by linking at risk individuals presenting to primary care with local community support.

 

It is seen as a response to a number of urgent challenges facing national health and social care services including an ageing population, changing patient expectations, and a policy decision to include the voluntary sector in the formal provision of health services. It is thought that it will lead to health benefits at the level of the individual, community, and ultimately, broader society. While there is increasing interest in social prescribing, widespread uptake at primary care level remains low. This is likely due to three key issues.

 

First, there is a limited evidence base supporting its effectiveness.

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Second, the community and voluntary sector is seeking guidance as to the delivery and evaluation of sustainable services.

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Third, service commissioners and local authorities need evidence of cost as well as health benefits.

 

Thus, while SP has the potential to produce important health benefits, the existing literature has yet to appropriately measure outcomes at each targeted level as well as articulate the processes through which such programmes can produce health benefits for society’s most vulnerable groups.

 

Social psychology’s evidence base concerning the relationships between individuals, groups, and health can directly address the gaps highlighted by those commissioning and providing SP services. For GPs, it can provide the hard, robust evidence as to the effect of SP on measurable health outcomes and scientifically establish the mediators of its effects. For the community sector, it can demonstrate the group dynamics underpinning initial involvement, service delivery, participant engagement, volunteering, and sustainability. For policy makers and commissioners, it can demonstrate reduced burden on health and social care and increased independent living. While there is an emerging body of social psychological research in this area, it has not significantly impacted public health policy and has a number of outstanding research questions.

 

This seminar series aims to address these gaps by consolidating the work of social psychologists across career stages, developing innovative collaborative outputs, and engaging SP commissioners, general practitioners and allied health professionals, and the community and voluntary services sector across the UK.

 

The seminar series will comprise three day-long events based at Nottingham Trent University, London South Bank University, and the University of Winchester. They will bring together academics with relevant knowledge that can be applied to the topic of social prescribing, community-based organisations, local authorities, primary care, and other commissioners of social prescribing. Each seminar will be based on a specific theme related to SP.