Effects of social prescribing pilot project for the elderly in rural area of South Korea during COVID‐19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Older adults—classified as a high‐risk group—are highly likely to experience increased loneliness due to the implementation of various policies designed to prevent the spread of COVID‐19. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the effects of a pilot social prescribing project for elderly people in rural area of South Korea during the COVID‐19 pandemic. METHODS: Using the PRECEDE‐PROCEED model, the effectiveness of the pilot project was verified through pre‐ and post‐impact and outcome evaluation. RESULTS: According to the results of the impact evaluation, loneliness reduced significantly, while the social participation attitude score increased. Although the average score of self‐efficacy increased, it was not statistically significant. Moreover, it was found that self‐esteem increased significantly. In the outcome evaluation, depression reduced considerably. CONCLUSION: To conclude, the pilot social prescribing project was effective in reducing depression and loneliness for the elderly in rural areas of Korea. It was also confirmed that there is potential to develop a new health promotion project that can improve the self‐esteem of the elderly, and expand their social activities. Second, the pilot project was carried out in an integrated manner by utilizing resources in communities with good accessibility. Therefore, it is expected to be used as a new “Integrated community care model” to improve the mental health of the elderly in rural areas. Third, during the COVID‐19 pandemic, the elderly tend to experience increasing feelings of depression, isolation, and loneliness due to “social distancing.” Therefore, it is expected that social prescribing programs for the elderly in rural areas would become a new alternative for relieve mental disorder of the seniors.