Protected: Youth Support Groups
Summary
This community-based social prescribing intervention targets the social isolation and mental health challenges of vulnerable young people aged 16–29 in NEET situations by connecting them to personalized educational, social, and cultural activities through co-designed 
action plans.
Age
51-60
Target Group
General population
Type of intervention
Promotion
Addressed need
Type of delivery
Digital, Mixed
Intervention setting
School
Country
Germany
Setup costs
Licensing/copyright/materials
Implementation costs
Location
Available Languages
Dutch, Polish
Evaluation & Evidence Profile

Formally recognized as a consensus Good Practice with minor suggestions for
improvement, the intervention is backed by preliminary evidence derived from mixed-methods pre-post quantitative assessments and qualitative evaluations across multiple pilot regions. Studies indicate statistically significantimprovements in mental health scores (GHQ-12) and psychological wellbeing indices (WHO-5). Noted gaps in evidence center 
on the ongoing nature of large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and structured process evaluations, which are required to reach the "Best Practice" standard. Reviewers submitted minor recommendations to explicitly detail the baseline minimal staff prerequisites, define essential operational costs for small-to-medium implementations, 
and document concrete success or failure factors from pilot data.

Intervention Methodology

Grounded in the person-centered social prescribing model and ecosystem theory, 
the framework links non-clinical community resources with multidisciplinary networks 
to address the wider social determinants of health. The delivery lifecycle sequences systematically over 40 weeks: a recruitment and screening window (Weeks 1–4), individual needs assessment and collaborative co-design of action plans (Weeks 2–6), individualized activity implementation with weekly or biweekly mentoring (Weeks 4–36), continuous fidelity tracking (Weeks 4–36), and final pre-post evaluation (Weeks 36–40). Equity is actively operationalized through customized outreach, flexible delivery across rural/urban settings, 
and culturally sensitive materials adapted explicitly for migrants, refugees, low-literacy youth, and individuals with physical or cognitive disabilities

Developer Contact Info
Lead Organization:
Autonomous Province of Trento (Department of Health and Social Policies) – Italy
Contact person/email:
Diego Conforti, Department Representative
Email: diego.conforti@provincia.tn.it
Resource Website:
it.copeproject.eu (Consortium resources at copeproject.eu/resources)
Opublikowano: August 10, 2026

Evaluation & Evidence

Download the full methodology, evaluation results, implementation guide and resources.

Keywords

Health Promotion

Some facts

Year Launched 2018
Duration 8–12 weeks
Countries Implemented
Italy Germany Estonia
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