Linking Leeds: A Social Prescribing Service for Children and Young People

Melissa Brettell, Clare Fenton and Ethan Foster
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Melissa Brettell: Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leeds LS15 8ZB, UK
Clare Fenton: COMIC (Child Oriented Mental health Intervention Centre) Research, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
Ethan Foster: Linking Leeds, Leeds LS7 3EX, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: The use of social prescribing interventions for common mental health issues is expanding as clinicians seek to diverge from the traditional medical model of treatment. This intervention allows for the referral of patients to a nonclinical social activity via a link worker. Evidence for the benefits of social prescribing is growing. Most evidence is based on adults; however, a smaller number of studies involving children and young people have produced encouraging results. This evaluation reports on data routinely collected by the Linking Leeds service between 9 January 2019–11 January 2020. Linking Leeds provides Social Prescribing for people aged 16 years and above; however, the current paper focuses on service users aged between 16 and 25. Their aim is to connect people to services and activities in their community in order to benefit overall health and mental wellbeing. This evaluation of the Linking Leeds program supports the growing body of evidence to support the benefits social prescribing can have on young people’s mental health. Two main mechanisms were identified which underpin social prescribing in young people: social connectedness and behavioural activation.

Keywords: social prescribing; mental health; children and young people; CAMHS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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