Introduction: why social prescribing matters for adolescents
Adolescence is a critical window for social, emotional, and mental development. With rising mental health concerns among young people and stretched statutory services, there is growing interest in social prescribing and community-based wellbeing activities as potential prevention and early-intervention pathways. This article summarizes a systematic mapping of how pathways to community assets operate for children and young people (CYP) and what that might mean for policy and practice.
What social prescribing for CYP aims to do
Social prescribing connects individuals to non-clinical community assets that align with their interests and goals. For adults, clear pathways—from primary care to activities via link workers or signposting—have formed the basis of many programmes. When applied to CYP, the aim is similar: improve emotional and social development, increase connectedness, and reduce demand on specialist services by enabling timely, youth-centred engagement in community activities.
The evidence landscape: breadth over depth
Recent mapping of 68 sources describing 72 services shows a broad but heterogeneous field. Most activity occurred outside traditional clinics, with schools, youth centres, and community settings serving as common delivery points. Countries span ten jurisdictions including the UK, Canada, Australia, the United States, and beyond, reflecting widening global interest in CYP-focused social prescribing.
Delivery settings and reach
Delivery settings varied from schools (the most frequent) to youth clubs, parks, online platforms, and family-centred environments. Not all services specified a setting, underscoring the nascent and locally driven nature of CYP social prescribing. Age ranges were wide (roughly 4–29 years in some programmes), but most commonly targeted late adolescence and young adulthood (11–25 or 16–24). Referrers included teachers, GPs, self-referrals, and CAMHS, with schools and primary care being prominent entry points.
Pathways and linking functions
A key finding is the variability of the linking function. About a third of services described an explicit link worker role, while others offered direct access to community activities without a dedicated broker. This dispersion raises questions about personalization, shared decision-making, and the ability to tailor opportunities to individual needs. Where linkage existed, roles ranged from youth workers to dedicated CYP link workers tasked with assessment, matching, and ongoing support.
What activities count as social prescribing for CYP?
Activities touched four broad pillars commonly used for adults: advice/information, arts/heritage, the natural environment, and physical activity. However, CYP-focused programmes often extended beyond these pillars, embracing “other” categories such as volunteering, mentoring, and broad community engagement. This reflects young people’s preferences for informal, socially rich settings and the need to capture a wider array of assets that support wellbeing outside traditional adult models.
Outcomes and implications (without effectiveness claims)
Although this mapping is not an effectiveness review, most studies report positive trends in psychological and social wellbeing, reduced loneliness, and better engagement with services. Outcomes also tracked behaviour, school attendance, and healthcare use in some cases. The evidence highlights potential benefits of CYP engagement in community activities, while also stressing the heterogeneity of measures and reporting, which makes cross-study comparisons challenging.
Implications for practice and policy
Key implications include the need for clearer definitions of which mental health needs social prescribing should address in CYP, and for robust CYP-specific frameworks that describe pathways, referral criteria, and success metrics. The presence or absence of a dedicated linking function matters: a structured link worker can enhance matching, timeliness, and person-centred planning, which are essential for young people. Finally, the field would benefit from tailored categorisations of CYP activities that accurately reflect their preferences and local assets rather than relying solely on adult pillar frameworks.
Conclusion: a foundation for targeted CYP-SP development
The systematic map demonstrates a growing, diverse landscape of social prescribing for CYP. It underscores the potential of community-based wellbeing activities as a prevention and early-intervention pathway, while also signaling the need for clearer definitions, improved evaluation, and CYP-specific conceptual models to maximise impact for young people’s emotional and social development.
