PROSPECT BRC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Mental Health Social Prescribing trial (British Red Cross)
IRAS ID
261969
Contact name
Mark Llewellyn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of South Wales
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 4 months, 22 days
Research summary
Research Summary
Social prescribing is a way of understanding things that are important to a person and using these to find groups and resources in their local community that can help them meet their goals and understand their problems. Social prescribing can be used with people who have physical health problems, mental health problems, social problems such as loneliness or financial/housing problems.The Welsh Government has supported the creation of social prescribing services across Wales. However, evidence showing that social prescribing is a good way of improving a person’s well-being and quality of life is not very strong.
This study aims to evaluate a new social prescribing service delivered by British Red Cross in two areas in Wales. In this service, a link worker works with a patient who has mild/moderate mental or emotional health problems, to understand their needs and set them goals for the future. The link worker will then help them find a service in their local community that might help them achieve their goals.
The study uses a wait-list trial, so that half of the participants will receive the intervention (meeting with the link-worker) straight away, while half will have to wait for 28 days before receiving the intervention. Scores on well-being and quality of life questionnaires will be used to see the effects of the intervention on patients.
Summary of Results
Due to the pressures on the NHS brought about by COVID-19, in total the study only recruited 66 participants (or whom n=29 were randomised to the waitlist arm, and n=37 to the immediate referral arm). Data collection even for these small numbers was sporadic, and accordingly we did not gather a sufficiently large or complete dataset on which any analysis could be undertaken. Hence no study results were produced.REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
19/WA/0161
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jun 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion