Abstract

FERREIRA, João Miguel Alves et al. Emotional and cognitive evaluation in groups of older adults differentiating social prescription. Revista Portuguesa de Enfermagem de Saúde Mental [online]. 2023, n.30, pp.39-51.  Epub Dec 31, 2023. ISSN 1647-2160.  https://doi.org/10.19131/rpesm.372.

Social Prescription (SP) has been developed mostly in the United Kingdom (UK) and has been recognised by the UK National Health Service as an innovative approach to support the sustainability of the health system. It also has the potential to promote partnerships between community structures, thereby helping to link the health and social sectors to form a local SP system. Our objective was evaluate the performance of a SP programme, examining the impact on cognitive performance and emotional well-being. A questionnaire was applied to a sample of 60 non-institutionalized older adults, aged 66-96 years. Two groups of 30 participants were defined: SP Group (that were included in the social prescription program) and Control Group (that do not benefit from any program). All the instruments were validated for the Portuguese population. Emotional well-being was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and cognitive performance was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Results showed that the SP group has lower levels of cognitive impairment and a higher average self-esteem score, but no statistically significant differences were detected in the cognitive performance scale. These results suggest that the SP programs have a special and positive impact on the self-esteem of the elderly. This evidence highlights the importance of considering these programs as a strategic intervention axis for active aging. The added value of SP as a mechanism that fosters benefits associated with health and well-being was noted. Future investigations should be conducted with access to a larger sample and explore other dependent variables.

Keywords : Health Promotion; Social Prescription; Healthy Aging.

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