INcreasing Adolescent Social and Community SupporT - Pilot

NCT06656663 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 6735/017
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 78
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: Social prescribing is a mechanism of connecting patients with non-medical forms of support within the community and has been shown to improve loneliness. Yet uptake from young people has been lower than for adults. This is thought to be due to accessibility issues as young people are less likely to draw on primary care, where social prescribing in based, for wellbeing support. INACT will pilot a social prescribing pathway via schools to support young people who are lonely. It will test the feasibility and acceptability of delivering and evaluating it through a randomised controlled trial. Methods: 78 pupils reporting loneliness will be recruited across 12 mainstream (6 primary and 6 secondary) schools in England and be randomly allocated to signposting or social prescribing. Pupils in the control group will receive signposting to sources of support from school staff. The co-produced social prescribing intervention includes up to 6 sessions with a Link Worker who will work with individuals to understand 'what matters to them' and connect them with local sources of support. Data will be collected at baseline, 3- and 6-months later. Acceptability and feasibility will be assessed via recruitment and retention, as well as via qualitative interviews. Interviews will also explore barriers, facilitators and mechanisms of change. Potential primary and secondary outcomes for a future trial will be completed to assess response and completeness, including measures of loneliness, mental health and wellbeing. Discussion: INACT will provide preliminary evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of both the research design and social prescribing intervention. Results will inform a potential future randomised trial.

Conditions

Loneliness

Keywords

Social Prescribing; Loneliness; School; Pupils; Link Worker

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Loneliness

  Good Childhood Index is assessed using 3 questions on a 3-point Likert scale (scoring between 3-9). Higher scores indicate higher reported loneliness.

  3 Months

• Intervention Feasibility (School Staff and Link Workers)

  Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM) is assessed using 4 questions each on a five-point Likert scale (scoring between 4-20). Higher scores indicate higher intervention feasibility

  6 months

• Intervention Acceptability (School Staff and Link Workers)

  Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) is assessed using 4 questions each on a five-point Likert scale (scoring between 4-20). Higher scores indicate higher intervention acceptability

  6 months

• Intervention Appropriateness (School Staff and Link Workers)

  Intervention Appropriateness Measure (IAM) is assessed using 4 questions each on a five-point Likert scale (scoring between 4-20). Higher scores indicate higher intervention appropriateness

  6 months

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Peer loneliness

  3 and 6 months

• Wellbeing

  3 and 6 months

• Mental health (emotional difficulties)

  3 and 6 months

• Service Use

  3 and 6 months

• Stress

  3 and 6 months

Other Outcomes (11)

• Family Support

  Baseline only

• School Support

  Baseline only

• Social support

  3 and 6 months

Study Arms (2)

Social Prescribing

EXPERIMENTAL

SP is a person-centred approach to wellbeing involving the co-development of a non-clinical prescription, between an individual (i.e. young person) and Link Workers (LWs), based on the perceived difficulties for the referral and the YPs values, needs and preferences. LWs have a good knowledge of their local areas, via community asset mapping and networking, allowing them to connect individuals with different types of available support and activities. Typically, SP ranges from 6-12 sessions (average 8 sessions: unpublished data from sites) with a LW over an 8-week period. Sessions may take place online, via phone call, or in person. As part of this process, LWs draw on psychological skills such as motivational interviewing and behavioural activation as well as employ problem solving and goal setting. Following the identification of issues and preferences, the LW will discuss with the YP what the available local activities and support structures are that best match their preferences.

Behavioral: Social Prescribing

Signposting

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Those in the control group will receive signposting to activities and local sources of support in their communities. This will consist of school pastoral staff meeting with YP identified as lonely and providing them with a leaflet detailing the same local sources of support identified by the LW from asset mapping.

Behavioral: Signposting

Interventions

Social Prescribing BEHAVIORAL

SP is a person-centred approach to wellbeing involving the co-development of a non-clinical prescription, between an individual (i.e. young person) and LW, based on the perceived difficulties for the referral and the YPs values, needs and preferences. LWs have an excellent knowledge of their local areas, via community asset mapping and networking, allowing them to connect individuals with different types of available support and activities. Typically, SP ranges from 6-12 sessions (average 8 sessions: unpublished data from sites) with a LW over an 8-week period. Sessions may take place online, via phone call, or in person. As part of this process, LWs draw on psychological skills such as motivational interviewing and behavioural activation as well as employ problem solving and goal setting. Following the identification of issues and preferences, the LW will discuss with the YP what the available local activities and support structures are that best match their preferences.

Social Prescribing

Signposting BEHAVIORAL

Those in the control group will receive signposting to activities and local sources of support in their communities. This will consist of school pastoral staff meeting with YP identified as lonely and providing them with a leaflet detailing the same local sources of support identified by the LW from asset mapping.

Signposting

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 9 Years - 13 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Children and young people in a participating school and in Years 4, 5 or 7, 8
• Parental consent and young person assent is provided
• A score of 6 or above on the Good Childhood Index loneliness questions

You may not qualify if:

• Private schools
• Children and young people with severe learning disabilities

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University College, London: lead
• University of Manchester: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University College London

Greater London, WC1E 7HB, United Kingdom

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Hayes D, Burton A, Bu F, Humphrey N, Qualter P, Han E, Sticpewich L, Wright J, Bone JK, Maguire S, Gonzalez Umpierrez LC, Stapley E, Tibber MS, Fancourt D. INcreasing Adolescent social and Community supporT (INACT): Pilot study protocol. PLoS One. 2025 Mar 26;20(3):e0317823. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317823. eCollection 2025.

  PMID: 40138284 DERIVED

Related Links

• Study webpage overview

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This study utilises a two-group (intervention vs. active control) parallel randomised design, with YP as the unit of randomisation.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 18, 2024
• First Posted: October 24, 2024
• Study Start: November 12, 2024
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2025
• Study Completion: August 31, 2025
• Last Updated: December 6, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-12

Locations

GB (1)