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

Social Prescribing for Advancing Resilience in Kids (SPARK): A Pilot Study of Social Prescribing for Children and Youth Mental Health in Canada

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

Inclusion Criteria:

• between 11-17 years of age
• on the waitlist for mental health services
• are not an immediate safety threat to themselves or others as assessed by the HEADS ED questionnaire

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children < 11 years old
• Adolescents > 17 years old