Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research, Division of Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2024 May 15;19(5):e0301550. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301550. eCollection 2024.
Social prescribing interventions connect mental health service users to community resources, to support physical and mental wellbeing and promote recovery. COVID-19 restrictions impacted the delivery of socially prescribed activities, preventing face to face contact for long periods.
The aim of this study was to understand how Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations working with a local NHS mental health Trust responded to the challenges of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This understanding will be used to make recommendations for future practice, post-lockdown.
Using a convergent mixed methods design, we surveyed VCSE providers of socially prescribed activities intended to be accessible and appropriate for people with severe mental health needs. Follow-up interviews explored further how they adapted during the first year of the pandemic, the challenges they faced, and how they sought to overcome them. The survey and interview data were analysed separately and then compared to identify convergent and divergent findings.
Twenty VCSE representatives completed the survey which provided a snapshot of changes in levels of connection and numbers reached during lockdown. Of 20 survey respondents, 11 participated in follow-up interviews. Interviews revealed that lockdown necessitated rapid change and responsive adaptation; activities were limited by resource, funding, safeguarding and government restrictions; no single format suited all group members; connection was key; and impact was difficult to gauge.
VCSE organisations commissioned to deliver creative socially prescribed activities during the pandemic rapidly adapted their offer to comply with government restrictions. Responsive changes were made, and new knowledge and skills were gained. Drawing on experiences during lockdown, VCSE organisations should develop bespoke knowledge, skills and practices to engage service users in future hybrid delivery of arts, sports, cultural and creative community activities, and to ensure that digital activities offer an equivalent degree of connection to face-to-face ones. Additionally, more effective methods of gaining feedback about patient experience of hybrid delivery is needed.
社会处方干预措施将心理健康服务使用者与社区资源联系起来，以支持身心健康并促进康复。COVID-19 限制措施影响了社会规定活动的开展，导致长时间无法进行面对面接触。
本研究旨在了解与当地 NHS 心理健康信托机构合作的志愿社区和社会企业（VCSE）组织如何应对 COVID-19 大流行期间保持社交距离的挑战。这一理解将用于为封锁后未来的实践提供建议。
我们使用趋同混合方法设计，对旨在为严重心理健康需求者提供可及和适宜的社会规定活动的 VCSE 提供者进行了调查。后续访谈进一步探讨了他们在大流行的第一年如何适应、面临的挑战以及他们如何寻求克服这些挑战。调查和访谈数据分别进行分析，然后进行比较以确定趋同和发散的发现。
20 名 VCSE 代表完成了调查，该调查提供了封锁期间联系水平和覆盖人数变化的快照。在 20 名调查受访者中，有 11 人参加了后续访谈。访谈显示，封锁迫使迅速变革和响应性适应；活动受到资源、资金、保障和政府限制的限制；没有单一的模式适合所有小组成员；联系是关键；影响难以衡量。
委托在大流行期间提供创意社会处方活动的 VCSE 组织迅速调整了其服务以遵守政府限制。进行了响应性变革，并获得了新知识和技能。借鉴封锁期间的经验，VCSE 组织应制定定制的知识、技能和实践，以吸引服务使用者参与未来艺术、体育、文化和创意社区活动的混合式交付，并确保数字活动提供与面对面活动相当的联系程度。此外，需要更有效的方法来获取关于混合式交付的患者体验的反馈。
