Occupational Therapists as Social Prescribers: Insights from Swedish Primary Care.
Background: Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a public health issue, with social prescribing gaining global interest as a useful approach to address social needs by connecting patients to non-medical community resources. Occupational therapists have previously been recognized as well suited f...
| Published in: | Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 1 - 13 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
Dec2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=195705638&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 195705638 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 11038128 BD9 jtl: Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy issn: 11038128 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Dec2026 vid: 33 iid: 1 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature place: New York, New York artinfo: ui: 195705638 10.1007/s44474-026-00002-6 195705638 ppf: 1 ppct: 12 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Occupational Therapists as Social Prescribers: Insights from Swedish Primary Care. aug: au: Viklund, Emilia W.E. Degerstedt, Frida Jonsson, Frida Lundgren, Anna Sofia Nilsson, Ingeborg affil: https://ror.org/05kb8h459 Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden sug: ab: Background: Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a public health issue, with social prescribing gaining global interest as a useful approach to address social needs by connecting patients to non-medical community resources. Occupational therapists have previously been recognized as well suited for social prescribing initiatives, yet their role remains underexplored. Aim: This study aims to explore occupational therapists’ experiences of a social prescribing model as well as the professions’ role in applying it in Swedish primary care to alleviate loneliness among older adults. Material and Methods: Semi-structured individual interviews with 10 occupational therapists were conducted digitally. The data analysis was guided by reflexive thematic analysis. Results: The social prescribing model was perceived as potentially valuable to address loneliness among older adults in primary care. While occupational therapists felt that their professional expertise positioned them well to contribute to the approach, they also identified important constraints that limited their capacity in their role as social prescribers. Conclusion/Significance: To realize the social prescribing model’s potential in Swedish primary care, the complexity of loneliness and social activities must be acknowledged. Efforts are also needed to lower thresholds for social participation, and fostering collaboration across organizational and professional boundaries. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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