Adolescence – conventionally defined as the period from ages 10 to 19 – is a crucial stage in human development that sees important physical, emotional and relational changes. It is a time when young people have to take on key challenges such as accepting changes to their bodies, redefining their family ties and forging new social relationships: going through these delicate processes can have a big impact on mental health. Approaches such as social prescribing can provide valuable support, helping young people to find a fresh sense of balance and belonging.
During this delicate, complex time of life, temporary issues – which can take forms such as anxiety symptoms, depression, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, and behaviour linked to substance abuse – can evolve into clinical psychiatric disorders, with long-lasting effects.
Half of all mental health disorders in adulthood start by age 18 (WHO, Adolescent and young adult health, 2024), which makes it even more crucial to begin protecting and promoting mental well-being during adolescence, by taking prompt action and employing effective prevention strategies.
What do the data say?
Globally, one in seven adolescents lives with a mental disorder, such as depression, anxiety and behavioural issues.
Anxiety disorders are the most common conditions of this kind among 15 to 19-year-olds, with an estimated 5.5% experiencing them.
Depression is developing earlier and earlier: it affects approximately 1.4% of people aged between 10 and 14, and 3.5% of those aged between 15 and 19. It can have serious consequences, such as suicide, which is the third highest cause of death in people between 15 and 29 years of age (WHO, Mental health of adolescents, 2024).
These are alarming figures, and the pattern is very similar in Europe.
Mental health of adolescents: anxiety and depression
According to the 2024 UNICEF Child and Adolescent Mental Health report entitled "The State of Children in the European Union", approximately 11.2 million children and young people aged up to 19 in the EU (13% in total) suffer from a mental health condition. Between 15 and 19 years of age, 8% suffer from anxiety disorders and 4% from depression.
In addition, mental disorders that develop during adolescence can compromise young people’s schooling. They can have a negative impact on attendance and achievement, while also intensifying feelings of social isolation and loneliness, which are at their highest in Europe among young people, especially females aged between 16 and 24 (JRC, Loneliness in Europe. Determinants, Risks and Interventions, 2024).
Society’s role in the mental well-being of adolescents
The data underline that there is an urgent need to take concrete action worldwide, by promoting mental well-being, increasing social and emotional learning, strengthening social support networks and providing equitable access to support services.
However, stigma and prejudice can make people reluctant to ask for help, thus increasing their suffering. Therefore, it is essential to avoid excessive medicalisation when catering to mental health needs and favour non-pharmacological approaches that revolve around people and social contexts, employing diversified strategies that involve not only health services, but also schools, communities, organisations from the voluntary sector and local services, such as libraries.
A review of 46 meta-analyses highlighted that attending school was a significant protective factor with regard to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, underlining the crucial role of educational settings when it comes to promoting and supporting young people’s mental health (P. J. Na, J. Shin, H. R. Kwak et al., 2025).
It is worth noting that in EU countries, fewer resources are dedicated to mental health services than to physical health services. Therefore, it is no surprise that in 2022 almost 50% of young adults between 18 and 29 years of age did not receive sufficient help to meet their psychological needs (UNICEF, 2024). An integrated approach to care would help to make up for some of the shortcomings in the health care system, expanding the support network and aiding early detection of issues.
Social prescribing
Given the circumstances, it could be extremely useful to consider introducing social prescribing as a complementary strategy for tackling the issues associated with the mental health of adolescents and young adults. Already implemented in more than 30 countries worldwide and particularly popular in Nordic and English-speaking countries, it is a constantly expanding, integrated approach that aims to promote well-being through non-clinical measures.
How does social prescribing work?
As illustrated in A Toolkit on How to Implement Social Prescribing by the World Health Organization (2022), the goal of social prescribing is to reduce health inequalities by connecting people with resources in the community that can support them. The process normally starts with a health or social worker referring a user to a key figure called a “link worker”, who works with the person in question and draws up a personalised plan based on their needs, values and preferences. This action plan will involve engagement in activities such as volunteering, art and culture initiatives, physical exercise and gardening.
The holistic, people-oriented approach not only helps to improve individual quality of life, but also boosts the sense of belonging and local support networks, significantly increasing opportunities for early intervention.
Emerging findings about the effectiveness of social prescribing
Evidence about the effectiveness of social prescribing during infancy and adolescence is still limited, but it is gradually growing. A recent scoping review – published in 2025 and conducted by Caitlin Muhl, a researcher at Queen’s University at Kingston, along with an interdisciplinary team of scholars from the same university and the University of Toronto – analysed nine studies that were published in the United Kingdom and the United States between 2020 and 2024, regarding the use of social prescribing for children and young people, especially those between 15 and 25 years of age.
The programmes that were analysed were carried out in both clinical and community settings, including GP practices, mental health clinics, emergency departments, schools, and charitable organisations. The most common reason for referral was mental health issues. In all cases, a link worker fostered connections with individually tailored support activities, such as social initiatives, arts and culture programmes, physical activities, and basic needs support.
On the whole, the results reveal predominantly positive outcomes. Quantitative investigations reported improvements in mental well-being, relationships and perceived support, as well as reduced loneliness. Meanwhile, qualitative investigations revealed greater awareness of resources, active engagement with the community, and a general improvement in perceived health. In addition, some studies collected self-reported data showing significant reductions in the use of health services, especially consultations with doctors and emergency department visits.
The INACT study: a social prescribing initiative
As places that are accessible to all adolescents, schools and libraries are ideally suited to promoting well-being and reducing loneliness. They can act as connectors between young people and community resources, and in the United Kingdom they have already begun to be used to pave the way to social prescribing. However, at present there are no studies that have looked into the implementation of social prescribing in school environments. The INcreasing Adolescent social and Community supporT (INACT) pilot study has been launched to fill this gap. It will trial the introduction of a social prescribing pathway in schools, for young people who report feelings of loneliness or low community connection.
The INACT study will use a parallel design with two groups (intervention and control) of pupils aged between 9 and 13, from 12 schools (6 primary and 6 secondary) in three cities in England: London, Leeds and Manchester. Half will take part in a social prescribing process, while the others will receive simple signposting to local resources from school staff.
Data collection will be completed by July 2025 and the results are due to be published in September. Meanwhile, NHS England has set an objective of tripling the number of link workers to 9,000 in the next 10 years. The findings from the INACT study will provide crucial guidance on how and where these figures should be strategically distributed to effectively cater to growing youth mental and social well-being needs.
If it proves successful, the introduction of social prescribing in schools could not only reduce loneliness among young people, but also help to improve mental and physical well-being in the long term, not to mention lead to significant savings for social and health care services.
A cura di Catterina Seia (Presidente CCW – Cultural Welfare Centre) e Elena Rosica ( Cultural Welfare Center (CCW), Research Area)
