The arts in social prescribing

Holt, Nicola, Vougioukalou, Sofia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0788-0373 and Chatterjee, Helen 2025. The arts in social prescribing. Holt, N., Tischler, V., Corvo, E. and Vougioukalou, S., eds. Routledge Handbook of Arts and Health, Routledge, Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Over the last few years there has been a huge impetus to deliver, evaluate and develop art on prescription and social prescribing programmes, with the hope that provision will improve the psychosocial wellbeing of participants and reduce the health burden, associated with social isolation and low wellbeing, on the NHS. In this chapter we provide an overview of arts on prescription practice and the evidence base for its efficacy, providing preliminary support for its impact on participant wellbeing. However, we note limitations with the evidence base, and a need to develop best practice. For example, there are challenges with reaching under-represented audiences and unanswered research questions (including, examining dosage effects and longitudinal impact). There is a continued need for high quality research that is theoretically driven, focusing on ‘what works for whom’, to improve delivery and optimise outcomes.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Research Institutes & Centres > Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE) Research Institutes & Centres > Centre for Trials Research (CNTRR) Schools > Medicine
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Publisher:	Routledge
ISBN:	9781032546957
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	27 November 2025
Last Modified:	27 Nov 2025 11:54
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/182701

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