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Health is a state of physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Yet social factors, such as loneliness, debt, and stress, have long been neglected in modern biomedical, disease-focused systems. There has been a push to redress this balance. Social prescribing—that is referring patients (by a clinician, charity, or community worker) to a variety of non-medical community supports—has gained traction in recent years, with a 2024 report highlighting its use in more than 30 nations. Might offering a more holistic, person-centred approach to social issues that affect health, through methods such as social prescribing, help to address some of the challenges around social determinants of health?
