SocialRx

Today is Social Prescribing Day! 🧡
Across the world, healthcare is evolving to recognize that our well-being is shaped not just by clinical care, but by the strength of our communities, our relationships, and our access to meaningful experiences.

Ultimately, social prescribing is about more than just filling a gap in the healthcare system; it’s about rebuilding the social fabric that keeps us resilient.

Excited to participate in the National Convening on Arts & Social Connection at the High Museum of Art this week. Our Head of Community Strategy, Adrienne Hundley, will be presenting during the Ideas Exchange session on Thurs. 3/19, 3–4pm, to uplift the growing movement in social prescribing and share SocialRx's model as a structured, non-clinical pathway to build meaningful social connection. We'll highlight how arts engagement can be intentionally prescribed and co-designed with participants and care partners to foster belonging, mutual support, and sustained community ties.

Looking forward to hearing innovative ideas and making new connections!

Loneliness is the number one challenge students tell us they’re facing on college campuses.

Loneliness isn't about being alone. It’s about the gap between the relationships someone wants and what they experience. This is why young people can feel lonely even when surrounded by classmates, followers, or online interactions.

When those who cite emotional stress as a reason for dropping of college were asked about the sources of that stress, 60% of students identify loneliness or isolation as a driver. It does not have to be this way. We can do something about it.

Tomorrow, Laurel Donley and SocialRX CEO Chris Appleton will discuss our collaboration supporting student health at University of North Carolina School of the Arts with the Kenan Institute for the Arts at the annual NASPA conference.

If you're at , join us!

Arts and Nature Rx, the social prescribing partnership between Dartmouth and SocialRx, is fully underway! Through activities like group hikes, museum visits, and creative workshops, students are finding ways to reduce loneliness, ease anxiety, and strengthen overall well-being. The program shows how campuses can expand care beyond the clinic to help students feel more grounded, connected, and supported throughout their college experience.

Learn more:
https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2026/01/arts-and-nature-rx-program-boost-student-wellness

“Loneliness among adults 45 and older is rising at an alarming rate. According to a recent AARP study, 40% of U.S. adults now report being lonely, a significant increase from 35% in both 2010 and 2018.”

Social prescribing helps remove the friction that keeps people isolated. By connecting older adults to community engagements that feel accessible and supportive, we help rebuild confidence, routine, and belonging.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4qbX5Di

Well-being isn’t built in a single month or through one resolution. It’s shaped through small, consistent moments of connection, creativity, and care throughout the year.

Social prescribing offers a way to turn intention into action by helping people engage in community-based experiences that support mental health, reduce isolation, and strengthen belonging.

At Art Pharmacy, we believe progress doesn’t require a reset. It starts wherever you are and continues one meaningful step at a time.

Loneliness and social isolation remain critical public health challenges for older adults, especially men. New research highlights how social prescribing can help older adults rebuild connection, purpose, and routine by linking them to meaningful, community-based support beyond clinical care. At Art Pharmacy, we see how community engagements can help older adults feel more connected, confident, and supported in their daily lives. Social prescribing offers a human-centered approach to aging well, rooted in belonging and dignity.

Read more: https://tgam.ca/49rRSkr

Older men struggle to navigate isolation. ‘Social prescribing’ can help ease its burden Around the world, policy-makers, medical professionals and everyday people are beginning to understand loneliness as a health hazard they need to address

College campuses are rethinking how they support student well-being and many are looking beyond traditional clinical models alone.

Across higher education, campus leaders are innovating with approaches that prioritize connection, belonging, and prevention alongside counseling services. Social prescribing is one of those solutions, helping students engage in community-based supports that reduce isolation and strengthen well-being beyond the clinic.

In our recent Higher Ed webinar, leaders shared why these approaches matter and how they can help students who might otherwise fall through the cracks.

Watch the conversation and hear from campus leaders on what’s working and what’s next:
https://bit.ly/3Z2X1L3

Art Pharmacy Higher Ed Webinar Clip - December 2025 Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

This is the power of social prescribing. By connecting older adults to community engagements they might not explore alone, we help open doors to curiosity, confidence, and connection. Well-being grows when people feel supported in discovering what brings them joy.

“This isn’t just extracurricular programming—it’s integrating these community-based activities into a care pathway.”

We’re grateful to be featured in Inside Higher Ed for highlighting how Art Pharmacy is integrating creative, community-based activities into campus care pathways. This work helps address loneliness and gives students a clear permission structure to care for themselves in meaningful, accessible ways.

Read the full article to learn more about how creative care is supporting student mental health: https://bit.ly/49m5WNP