Social return on investment of a yoga-based wellbeing programme for social prescribing in the UK

Introduction Common mental disorders pose a profound public health challenge across the United Kingdom (UK), leaving regional health boards with backlogs of patients awaiting formal treatment. Consequently, UK healthcare policy is shifting toward integrated, community-based solutions, placing greater emphasis on social prescribing to sustain mental wellbeing during wait times. Within these community frameworks, mind-body modalities such as yoga have emerged as promising interventions. However, despite growing clinical support for their psychological benefits, their specific socio-economic value remains largely unexplored. This study addresses this limitation by evaluating the social return on investment (SROI) of a five-week Dru Yoga Wellbeing (DYW) Programme delivered to UK participants managing mild-to-moderate mental health conditions. Methods Following UK Cabinet Office guidelines, this multi-site evaluation tracked an intervention across nine UK locations (July–October 2025). Quantitative outcomes ( n = 59 baseline; n = 41 complete cases) were monetised using the UK Treasury-approved Wellbeing-Adjusted Life Year (WELLBY) metric for life satisfaction and the UK Mental Wellbeing Bank metric for mental wellbeing. Findings were triangulatedwith qualitative data from questionnaires ( n = 40) and semi-structured interviews( n = 9). Standard SROI deductions for deadweight, attribution, displacement, and drop-off were applied to ensure analytical rigour. Results Quantitative analysis revealed substantial pre- to post-intervention improvements for life satisfaction and mental wellbeing, The SROI analysis yielded a social return of £3.15 for every £1 invested for mental wellbeing, and £4.79 per £1 invested for life satisfaction. Qualitatively, thematic analysis identified key biopsychosocial outcomes: psychological improvement, enhanced social connection, and improved physical wellbeing. Discussion The convergence of positive SROI ratios and qualitative biopsychosocial themes suggests that the DYW Programme shows promise as a valuable preventative intervention. Consequently, these preliminary findings indicate that this five-week yoga programme may warrant further consideration within regional social prescribing frameworks, particularly as part of broader efforts to foster community mental health resilience.