Clinical care is estimated to account for only 20% of a person’s health outcomes. So how do we tackle the far more influential social and economic determinants of health?
Social prescribing is one of the approaches aiming to change how we view health by recognising that wellbeing is shaped as much by social factors as by medicine. It is centered around connecting people with support in their community and can involve almost anything, from access to arts and music lessons to debt and housing advice, to volunteering in nature-based activities.
In this episode, Professor Helen Chatterjee helps us explore what social prescribing is, how it works in Britain, and what the evidence says about its effectiveness. Chatterjee is Professor of Human and Ecological Health at University College London and part of the core academic team that is building evidence to support the National Academy for Social Prescribing.
From reducing doctor’s visits and loneliness to improving mental health and long-term outcomes, in this episode we examine where social prescribing and creative health deliver real value — and where expectations need to be realistic. We also discuss how to scale and fund models of social prescribing and creative health.
Whether you’re a health professional, policymaker, or simply curious about the future of healthcare, this episode offers a clear and practical overview of social prescribing’s potential and the conditions needed for it to succeed.
Timestamps:
0:00 What is Social Prescribing?
9:44 Addressing Financial Stress and Social Welfare Needs
13:56 Role of Link Worker, Referral Process and Support in Practice
20:15 How to Fund the System
28:10 Evidence and Making the Policy Argument
43:39 Outlook and Developments on the Ground
51:40 Leadership and Scalability in Rethinking Health
Related episodes on What’s Next in Mental Health? :
The Science of Personalizing Psychological Treatments (with Dr. John Norcross)
Bruce Wampold - Moving Beyond Comparing Psychotherapies
Psychological Treatments – Can We Get Routine Outcome Monitoring Right? (with Dr. Chris Evans)
How the Diagnostic System Started to Swell (with DSM-4 chair Allen Frances)
