Pam Bubrzycki
At a time when world events and cost-of-living pressures are contributing to rising levels of anxiety, the ability to connect with others has never been more crucial to our well-being.
However, for many Australians, the experience of loneliness, isolation, and social disconnection is a daily reality.
A 2023 study found that one in six people aged 15 and over reported often feeling lonely. This rises to nearly 30 per cent among those over 60, and to 35 per cent for people living in rural Australia.
The World Health Organisation recognises social disconnection as a global public health issue which places an enormous burden on our already strained health care systems. This matters because those who experience chronic loneliness are at higher risk of mental illness, chronic disease, AOD misuse, and homelessness.
Our GP clinics and emergency departments are filled with patients with symptoms of illness whose obvious needs are typically met with medication.
System strain and appointment times simply don’t allow for the level of curiosity required to ask and understand what else is happening in a person’s life, or to consider what else could be prescribed.
Are patients’ needs medical, or does the root cause of their illness lie in the depths of social isolation?
This is where the concept of “social prescribing” comes in. While it’s relatively new to Australia, social prescribing is already embedded into health care systems in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and Singapore.
At its core, social prescribing is the practice of referring people to non-medical interventions such as social supports and community-based programs to improve their overall health and wellbeing via a professional “link worker”.
It moves beyond treating illness to mitigating health risks and providing individuals with the support to act and address the wider determinants of health. Put simply, it is a low-cost, evidence-based solution to address non-clinical needs.
I’m not the only one who recognises the immense potential social prescribing holds for improving the health and wellbeing of Australians.
Momentum is building, with a national feasibility study recently commissioned by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, recommending that social prescribing should be implemented into our healthcare system at a national level.
For the last 12 months, a landmark West Australian pilot program has trialled the efficacy of Social Prescribing, via The Albany Connected Communities Project. The ACCP has received strong community support and early evidence shows the program is reducing social isolation for participants.
Almost 150 people have engaged in the pilot, run by Amity Health and funded by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, during the first 12 months of a planned three-year program.
Participants have been prescribed a range of activities across 100 different community groups and services. From time in nature to yoga and other physical activities; art, music and culture activities; and referrals to advice, information and social supports which address needs such as food and housing insecurity.
Initial screening data of program participants revealed the scale of the problem, with over half reporting a general sense of emptiness, 41 per cent missed having people around them, 35 per cent feel rejected, and only 33 per cent reported that they have enough people they feel close to.
A 12-month interim evaluation report shows encouraging results, finding participants were less likely to experience a general sense of emptiness, miss having people around them, or feel rejected.
More participants felt they had people to rely on when they had problems as well as people they could trust completely. The number of participants who reported they often felt rejected decreased by half.
For some, the program has been transformative. Participants described it as a “lifeline”, crediting it with improving their mental health and overall outlook. Others highlighted the value of simple social interactions in rebuilding a sense of belonging and community.
Beyond individual outcomes, the program also points to broader system benefits. Referrals to chronic condition and mental health supports have created opportunities for early intervention and prevention. Participants have demonstrated improved health literacy, empowering them to better manage their wellbeing.
Ultimately, social prescribing taps into something fundamentally human – we are genetically designed for connection.
But when that connection is absent or fractured, the consequences can be profound, not just socially, but physically and mentally.
If we are serious about improving health outcomes and reducing pressure on our health system in Western Australia, we must start recognising community connection as a form of care, and social prescribing is a practical, evidence-based pathway to deliver it at scale.
Pam Bubrzycki is the chief executive of Amity Health.
