Social Prescribing for Children and Young People with Neurodisability and Their Families Initiated in a Hospital Setting: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal BMJ Open

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2023 Dec 22

PMID 38135327

Authors

Katie Gordon

Laura Gordon

Anna Purna Basu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Social prescribing (SP) is a non-medical intervention in which professionals refer patients to a link worker (LW), who connects them with appropriate support. Children and young people (CYP) with neurodisability often have unmet needs and may bypass community initiatives. We undertook a review of hospital-initiated SP for CYP with neurodisability.

Design: Systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance and using Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool.

Data Sources: Medline, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and FutureNHS, searched from 1 January 2000 to 19 October 2023, with no language restrictions.

Eligibility Criteria: Studies describing SP interventions for CYP (ages 0-25 years) with neurodisability/neurodivergence.

Exclusions: interventions outside of secondary care; with no description; or no LW.

Data Extraction And Synthesis: Two researchers independently screened references. Data were charted, summarised, quality assessments performed and narratively reviewed.

Results: After removal of duplicates, 518 references were identified. Following screening, eight articles (covering five SP schemes) were included. Rahi connected 68 families of CYP newly diagnosed with visual impairment to a community LW. Families needed information about social and educational services, and emotional support. Healthcare professionals had more time for clinical issues. Six papers described three different digital interventions supporting in total 86 CYP with traumatic brain injury and their families. Wade (2004, 2005a, 2005b) provided a website with core and individualised sessions, and weekly therapist support. Wade (2018) provided a smartphone application, website and weekly meetings with an online coach. These interventions boosted social behaviours. Wade (2014, 2015) found that online family problem-solving therapy improved overall child functioning compared with self-guided resources. Toutain (2009) provided non-medical support to 11 children with fetal alcohol syndrome and their mothers. No outcome data were provided. Studies reported benefits to health, well-being, healthcare usage, knowledge, skills, satisfaction and service delivery.

Conclusion: Literature describing hospital-initiated SP schemes for CYP with neurodisability, while sparse, suggests potential benefit.

Prospero Registration Number: CRD42022384188.

Citing Articles

Hospital in-reach family-centred social prescribing pilot for children with neurodisability: mixed methods evaluation with social return on investment analysis.

Gordon L, Hastry M, Bate A, Gordon K, Greaves E, Dimitriadou S BMC Health Serv Res. 2025; 25(1):176.

PMID: 39885475 PMC: 11781045. DOI: 10.1186/s12913-025-12329-0.

Development of a new social prescribing intervention for families of children with cerebral palsy.

Ostojic K, Karem I, Dee-Price B, Paget S, Berg A, Burnett H Dev Med Child Neurol. 2024; 67(2):223-234.

PMID: 39031596 PMC: 11695790. DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.16039.

Quality Improvement Intervention Using Social Prescribing at Discharge in a University Hospital in France: Quasi-Experimental Study.

Cailhol J, Bihan H, Bourovali-Zade C, Boloko A, Duclos C JMIR Form Res. 2024; 8:e51728.

PMID: 38739912 PMC: 11130777. DOI: 10.2196/51728.

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