Social prescribing should be an integral part of healthcare systems

The concept of well-being has been unfolding in interesting ways over the past few years. Increasingly, medical practitioners are rethinking their approaches to treating patients by examining underlying causes driving illnesses and linking people’s lifestyles to their health outcomes in a more holistic manner.

It is evident that particular social determinants of health can affect overall quality of life, such as access to education, employment, housing, social connections, healthcare services, quality early childhood experiences, income, and social protection. The scarcity of these critical facets may lead to detrimental mental and physical health effects. Clinical services cannot cure these issues in isolation and thus, against this backdrop, medical practitioners are harnessing the power of social prescriptions as a supplementary pathway to alleviate, improve and prevent health issues among patients.

Essentially, patients are given tailored prescriptions that encourage them to engage in specific social activities that are easily accessible within their communities and, in some instances, are cost-free. Research has shown that vulnerable populations, defined as those already facing substantial disadvantages or whose social determinants of health predispose them to comparatively poor health outcomes, can gain the most from social prescribing interventions.

Evidence points to a number of benefits from engaging in social activities, including the alleviation of stress and anxiety, improved overall physical fitness and health, the combating of loneliness, a sense of belonging and social inclusion, and a boost to self-esteem. As a priority, physicians often opt for activities that promote fitness so that patients can witness an immediate improvement in physical and mental well-being. In the same vein, people can also take up a form of outdoor exercise, such as cycling, hiking amid nature trails, swimming, gardening or jogging in a public park.

Fostering social connections is another important factor in elevating well-being and many group activities can improve on that stance. The role of cultural and community centers within neighborhoods is pivotal in fashioning a rich calendar of activities that bring local communities together within entertaining or educational settings. Activities could include arts and cultural experiences, cooking classes, book clubs, hobby clubs, mindfulness classes or volunteering groups. Other pathways include accessing lifelong learning courses, seminars on life skills or family counseling sessions to equip people with the skills to effectively manage their stress triggers.

In recent years, social prescribing has been integrated into many national healthcare systems, such as in the UK, Portugal, Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore and New Zealand. In Singapore, patients admitted to SingHealth Community Hospitals are evaluated based on social determinants of health risk factors and those identified as needing assistance are enrolled in a social prescribing program. During their time at the hospital, patients actively participate in activities, such as gardening, exercise, singing and reading. As they approach discharge, they are linked with local community organizations that can provide ongoing support once they return to their homes.

In another example, the National Health Service in England is investing heavily in setting up social prescribing as a supplementary pathway to improve patients’ well-being, linking general practitioners with social prescribing link workers charged with jointly designing social activities. It had deployed 1,000 link workers by the end of 2021 and is aiming to offer the service to at least 900,000 people by 2024. Their endeavors are considered the most significant investment in social prescribing by any national healthcare system and they endorse the benefits of a personalized care approach as a supplement to medical treatment.

Regionally, the Arab world is poised to gain immensely from implementing social prescribing programs to complement the more traditional healing pathways. With rising incidences of physical and mental health challenges in the region, it is vital that individuals seek an effective method to improve their health outcomes.

It is important to bring together various key stakeholders — policymakers, medical professionals, urban planners, municipalities and cultural and community hubs — to share the compelling evidence surrounding the benefits of social prescribing programs. Strong partnerships and networks must be fostered in order to deliver the programs seamlessly in thoughtful, well-designed ways that cater to diverse age groups and conditions.

Medical professionals also need to receive comprehensive training on social prescribing in order to deliver the best possible outcomes for their patients. They should be qualified to assess the challenges and needs of patients, touch base with core implementation teams that are responsible for delivering social prescribing programs and review progress after a certain amount of time has passed.

Essentially, patients are given tailored prescriptions that encourage them to engage in specific social activities.

Sara Al-Mulla

In practical terms, this will also necessitate urban mapping that is more inclusive in introducing key features, such as green spaces, public fitness tracks and cultural and community hubs. On this note, integrating social prescribing link workers within cultural and community centers will be elemental in ensuring a varied calendar of activities is deployed, which can cater to multiple segments based on age, area and need. Launching national online platforms that act as informative resources on the benefits of social prescribing programs and their availability in various locations is a great way to create mass awareness. At the same time, it is advantageous to harness key opinion leaders to champion the importance of integrating social prescribing programs within the daily lives of communities.

Healthcare systems should consider creating these new avenues for nonclinical treatments that offer a more holistic approach to well-being.

• Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature. She can be contacted at www.amorelicious.com.