Group singing on social prescription: A scoping review

Abstract

The aim of this international scoping review was to assess the evidence of group singing as a form of social prescription. While efforts have grown over the last two decades to catalogue and evaluate the health benefits of arts and cultural activities as part of social prescribing, there has been limited exploration into group singing on social prescription, specifically. Given the growing body of research supporting the health and wellbeing gains of both group singing and social prescribing, this first scoping review is needed and timely. Published evidence is very limited at the moment, and only nine studies met the eligibility requirements. Identified barriers to wider integration of singing on prescription included lack of formalization of the social prescribing process, challenges solidifying buy-in from general practitioners and other healthcare professionals, difficulties sustaining funding, and shifts to organizational structure resulting in staff changeover and loss of institutional knowledge. Recommendations for future research, wider implementation of singing on social prescription and standardization of evaluation methods are included.

The impact of arts on prescription on individual health and wellbeing: a systematic review with meta-analysis

“…We acknowledge that other research papers are relevant in the category of SP programmes that offer cultural activities and which add to our understanding of the cultural benefits of the arts [see for example Todd et al ( 86 ) and Thomson et al ( 87 )] for Museums on Prescription, Helitzer et al Singing on Prescription ( 88 ). However, the studies did not meet the inclusion criteria for this review [e.g., being a review paper ( 88 )], or being outside the scope of search terms due to focusing on ‘non art’ based museum activities (such as object handling or reminiscence activities based around Museum exhibits), due to referral processes not being specified or due to not being group activities ( 86 , 87 ).…”