Social prescribing is the practice of health care professionals connecting people to non-medical support to address issues or needs that can’t be treated by medicine alone. The relatively low cost of social prescriptions in the context of growing pressures on health care services make it attractive to the health system.

England was the first country to integrate social prescribing into national health policy with positive results. Now more and more countries are adopting these collaborative approaches as shown in the report on Social Prescribing around the World.

The European Union is funding Culture on Prescription to prevent and combat social isolation and loneliness. They believe that cultural activities:

“create social solidarity and cohesion, foster social inclusion, community empowerment, and capacity-building, and enhance confidence, civic pride, and tolerance.”

At the French city of Lille’s Palais des Beaux-Arts, Museo-Therapy is one of the most significant programmes of its kind in the world. In Austria, the first Social Prescribing Conference was held.

Whether there is an official programme in the health system or whether communication and programmes are offered by culture organisations on their own initiative, culture has an amazing power to contribute to health and wellbeing.

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