So, as a UK resident, I'm torn here. On the one hand, many people would absolutely benefit from these things. It is appalling in our society how many people suf

So, as a UK resident, I'm torn here. On the one hand, many people would absolutely benefit from these things. It is appalling in our society how many people suffer from something as ostensibly simple as severe loneliness, which can cause significant mental and physical health problems. So yes, this sounds great. On the flip side... Mental health treatment in the UK is currently dramatically under-funded and under-resourced. Waiting lists are stretched beyond belief, and obtaining treatment is almost impossible for certain conditions. (First hand experience - one fairly significant mental health condition, but - ah! Only one! We only have enough resources to even try and help people with two conditions - co-morbidity. Come back when you're worse!) So two things - how much of this will in reality be pushed in an effort to avoid prescribing more serious therapies that people genuinely need (but the system can't manage), and how much of this would actually be available? It's all very well telling someone with little to no means through ill health to go and take up dance, or learn an instrument, but is that really on offer? Will that really be funded and available in areas where currently there's an 18 month waiting list to see a simple counsellor? (I thought I should pre-empt a possible reaction of "well, that's what you get with socialist/communist/etc. medicine - <death panels> etc." - there's no inherent reason for this other than poor management, under-funding and structural incompetence. It is definitely possible for the NHS to work well again, but right now, the fact that it doesn't is more political than theoretical. It would be like me pointing to the current shutdown in the US as evidence that governments aren't possible.)