Social Prescribing for Advancing Resilience in Kids: A Pilot Study of Social Prescribing

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Social Prescribing: A social prescribing intervention is a non-clinical approach to improving health and wellbeing by connecting individuals to community-based services and activities that address social, emotional, and practical needs. These may include arts programs, physical activity, peer support, volunteering, or nature-based activities. Facilitated by a link worker or navigator, social prescribing is tailored to the individual and aims to enhance mental health, reduce isolation, and support overall wellness beyond traditional medical care.

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the Social Prescription (SP) intervention helps improve mental health and wellbeing in youth. It will also assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing SP in a community setting. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Is the SP intervention feasible and acceptable for youth, caregivers, and staff?
* Does the SP intervention improve mental health outcomes, reduce stress, and increase wellbeing and social connectedness in youth?

Researchers will compare the Social Prescription (SP) intervention to an education control group to evaluate its effectiveness in improving youth mental health and wellbeing.

Participants will:

* Be randomized to receive either the SP intervention or be placed in an education control group
* Complete wellbeing and mental health questionnaires at the beginning of the study and again after 12 weeks
* Participate in qualitative interviews to share their experiences after participating in SP

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale — From enrollment to end of treatment or control period at 12 weeks.
  The Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) is a self-report questionnaire that measures symptoms of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents aged 8 to 18.
• Perceived Stress Scale — From enrollment to end of treatment or control period at 12 weeks.
  The Perceived Stress Scale is a widely used to help understand how different situations affect our feelings and our perceived stress.
• Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale — From enrollment to end of treatment or control period at 12 weeks
  The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was developed to enable the monitoring of mental wellbeing in the general population and the evaluation of projects, programmes and policies which aim to improve mental wellbeing.
• Social Connectedness Scale — From enrollment to end of treatment or control period at 12 weeks
  The Social Connectedness Scale measures the extent to which individuals feel connected to others in their social environment.
• Student Resilience Survey — From enrollment to end of treatment or control period at 12 weeks
  Student Resilience Survey measuring students' perceptions of their individual characteristics as well as protective factors embedded in the environment:

Trial sites (1)

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