Caring for the lonely: an ethical case for social prescribing against loneliness

Social prescribing to mitigate loneliness has been gaining traction worldwide in the past two decades. Patients found to be lonely by their clinicians are linked with social services and are encouraged to engage in non-clinical, social activities such as painting and music classes, Tai Chi, outdoor excursions etc. The science grounding the cost-effectiveness of these interventions, however, has been scarce. From a justice perspective which prioritizes resource allocation based on desired outcomes, social prescribing may be hard to justify. Care ethics, however, may be more adept at justifying and indeed compelling the investment of limited public resources in social prescription activities aimed at reducing loneliness. The assumption is that individuals have an entitlement to such activities first because they have a right to health, and second because, as inherently social creatures, they have a right to not be lonely.