ABSTRACT
Aging populations and the increasing mental health issues among them have set a new challenge for the international community, governments, and people. Given this, society’s role is very important, and involving the local community in resolving the problems can play a pivotal role. The current study presented the systematic review of the financing mechanism and cost-effectiveness of the “social prescribing” (SP) project in the United Kingdom and how SP can be adapted for other settings. The data showed comparatively low running costs and the overall effectiveness of SP projects. The running cost of SP projects varied between £54,525 and £1.1 million. The cost-effectiveness of the projects reported as 12% and the return of investment was about 50% depending on the type of analysis and the activities implemented. This type of intervention can be one of the options that support solving the issues of aging populations and their accompanying mental disorders.
ABSTRACT
Aging populations and the increasing mental health issues among them have set a new challenge for the international community, governments, and people. Given this, society’s role is very important, and involving the local community in resolving the problems can play a pivotal role. The current study presented the systematic review of the financing mechanism and cost-effectiveness of the “social prescribing” (SP) project in the United Kingdom and how SP can be adapted for other settings. The data showed comparatively low running costs and the overall effectiveness of SP projects. The running cost of SP projects varied between £54,525 and £1.1 million. The cost-effectiveness of the projects reported as 12% and the return of investment was about 50% depending on the type of analysis and the activities implemented. This type of intervention can be one of the options that support solving the issues of aging populations and their accompanying mental disorders.