Occupational therapist's involvement in social prescribing: A qualitative interview study.
Gemma Bradley, Beth Atkin, Helen Atkin and 1 others
PMID 40336845WHAT IT FOUND
Occupational therapists struggled to define their role distinct from social prescribing, often viewing it as an overlap or a step-down service.
They reported emotional responses to this identity challenge, while managing workflow through delegation and joint visits.
Key findings
01Participants experienced significant difficulty in positioning occupational therapy alongside social prescribing, with some describing a 'struggle' and emotional responses like feeling 'offended' or 'screaming' that the work was theirs.
02To manage workflow, therapists frequently delegated to social prescribers as a 'step down' service after complex clinical work, or engaged in joint visits, though this raised risks of duplication and unclear scope.
03Therapists attempted to create distinct professional identities by emphasizing their role as more 'clinical', 'medical', and 'senior' compared to social prescribers, who were viewed as having better knowledge of community resources.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study focused only on occupational therapists' perceptions, not on social prescribers, patients, or other professionals. All participants were based in England and Wales, so findings may not apply to other UK nations or internationally. Participants were recruited via social prescribing networks, so they may represent those already engaged with the agenda rather than the wider OT population. The study is exploratory and does not evaluate the effectiveness of any interventions.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) via a small grant for the research team's time.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that social prescribing is effective or ineffective for patients. This study reports on the professional identity struggles and workflow management of therapists, not on clinical outcomes or the quality of care delivered.