Service User Experiences and Perspectives of Social Prescribing Services for Mental Health

Objective: To explore service user experiences and perspectives of social prescribing for mental health and to develop theoretically informed strategies to optimise their experience.

Design: This qualitative study utilises semi-structured interviews with participants recruited via gatekeepers across social prescribing services in England and Wales. A topic guide, informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and the COM-B model of behaviour change, was used to structure interviews. Data were analysed using Thematic Framework Analysis guided by the TDF.

Results: Eighteen service users took part. Ten were aware of social prescribing and could provide an accurate explanation of what it is; three recognised the term but could not explain the concept; and five had no prior knowledge, despite accessing social prescribing services. Overall, awareness of social prescribing, its benefits for mental health, and service accessibility were limited and identified as key areas for improvement. Eleven theoretical domains identified related to engagement with social prescribing services for mental health. Twenty-one analytical themes were generated across the eleven coded domains. Of these themes, seven suggested changes to the current provision, with the remaining fourteen providing recommendations for future services.

Conclusions: Findings advance the field of social prescribing for mental health by providing insight into the experiences and perceptions of service users, underpinned by a robust behavioural framework analysis to identify behavioural determinants.