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Mental HealthCASPANCT07143383

CAMHS and Social Prescribing Applications

A study testing Social Prescribing and Signposting in people with Mental Health, run by University College, London.

Not yet recruiting

Opening soon. The study is approved but enrolment has not started yet. Sites may already take enquiries.

Sites and contacts
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Trial summary

Background: Social prescribing (SP) is a mechanism for linking patients with non-medical forms of community support and has demonstrated mental health benefits for adults and young people (YP). Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 11 to 18 years
Conditions the study is for
Mental Health
What is being tested?
Social Prescribing and Signposting
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
120 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
15 Sep 2025to 31 May 2027
Phase
Interventional

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 11 to 18 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult

Who may be able to join

  • CAMHS
  • Wish to participate in CASPA
  • Located in England
  • YP Participants
  • Aged between 11 to 18 years
  • Capacity to give assent (if under 16), or
Show all 14Show fewer
  • Capacity to give informed consent (if aged 16 or over or has Gillick competence if aged under 16)
  • Have started psychological treatment in CAMHS for an emotional difficulty (e.g. depression, anxiety)
  • Parent/Guardian Participants
  • Aged 18 or over
  • Capacity to give informed consent for YP involvement in CASPA (when the YP is aged between 11-15 and lacks Gillick competence)
  • CAMHS staff and LWs:
  • Aged 18 or over
  • Capacity to give informed consent to participate in CASPA

Who cannot join

  • YP with emotional difficulties put on an enhanced specialist pathway due to another severe and complex difficulty which requires intensive input (e.g. anorexia, psychosis or severe and complex difficulties (as judged by the assessing clinician))

Trial locations and contacts

No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.

Daniel Hayes, PhD contact

07747444010

d.hayes@ucl.ac.uk

Robert Booth, PhD contact

robert.booth@ucl.ac.uk

About this study

Background: Social prescribing (SP) is a mechanism for linking patients with non-medical forms of community support and has demonstrated mental health benefits for adults and young people (YP). However, SP is predominantly based in primary care, which limits accessibility for YP who typically engage less with this setting. Within CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), SP has only recently begun to be trialed, mainly as a pre-treatment option while waiting for care. The CASPA study will pilot a novel SP pathway embedded after the start of psychological treatment in CAMHS, aiming to test its feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact on mental health and wellbeing through a randomized controlled trial.

Methods: CASPA is a two-group (intervention vs. active control) parallel randomized pilot study with YP as the unit of randomization. A total of 120 YP aged 11-18, who have started psychological treatment for emotional difficulties in one of three CAMHS sites in England, will be recruited. Participants in the intervention group will receive a co-produced, person-centered SP pathway involving up to six sessions with a trained Link Worker (LW). These sessions will help identify 'what matters to them' and connect YP with locally mapped community activities and support (e.g. arts, sports, volunteering). Participants in the control group will receive signposting to the same community resources via a leaflet from CAMHS staff or researchers. Quantitative data will be collected at baseline, 3-month and 6-month follow-up, including measures of resilience, mental health, wellbeing, service use, and quality of life. Primary outcomes include feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention, assessed through validated measures and participation metrics, alongside any evidence of impact. Qualitative interviews with YP, CAMHS staff, and LWs will explore implementation experiences, barriers, facilitators, and mechanisms of impact.

Discussion: The CASPA study will generate preliminary evidence regarding the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of offering SP after psychological treatment within CAMHS has started. It will also provide early insights into whether this approach can improve outcomes for YP with emotional difficulties. Findings will inform decisions on the design and justification for a future full-scale clinical and cost-effectiveness trial.

Conditions
Mental Health
Being tested
Social Prescribing, Signposting
Keywords
Social prescribing, CAMHS, Mental health, Child, Young person
Medical subject headings
Psychological Well-Being

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Social PrescribingBehavioural

    SP is a person-centered 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 behavioral 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 match their preferences.

  • SignpostingBehavioural

    Those in the control group will receive signposting to activities and local sources of support in their communities. This will consist of a CAMHS clinician or researcher meeting with YP identified and providing them with a leaflet detailing the same local sources of support identified by the LW from asset mapping.

Study groups in NCT07143383
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Social PrescribingExperimentalSP is a person-centered 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 behavioral 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 match their preferences.
Receives: Behavioral: Social Prescribing
SignpostingActive comparatorThose in the control group will receive signposting to activities and local sources of support in their communities. This will consist of a CAMHS clinician or researcher meeting with YP identified and providing them with a leaflet detailing the same local sources of support identified by the LW from asset mapping.
Receives: Behavioral: Signposting

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Acceptability (young people)

    YP: Acceptability will be assessed using an item from the Friends and Family test, which asks individuals to rate how likely they would be to recommend the service (in this instance, the SP pathway). It is assessed on a five-point Likert Scale, ranging from '1' Extremely Unlikely to '5' Extremely Likely. Higher scores indicate better acceptability.

    Measured: 3 and 6 months

Secondary outcomes (11)
  1. Acceptability (CAMHS Staff and LWs)

    Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM) is assessed using 4 questions each on a five-point Likert scale (scoring between 4-20)

    Measured: 6 months

  2. Feasibility (young people)

    YP will be asked about the feasibility of the intervention via qualitative interviewing where questions can be appropriately framed for their age and experience.

    Measured: Post intervention (t least 3 months)

  3. Feasibility (CAMHS Staff and LWs)

    Description: Link workers (LW) and CAMHS staff: 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.

    Measured: 6 months

  4. Appropriateness (young people)

    Appropriateness will be assessed by the proportion of sessions offered versus the number the young person attends.

    Measured: 3 and 6 months

  5. Appropriateness (CAMHS Staff and LWs)

    Appropriateness 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

    Measured: 6 months

  6. Wellbeing: ONS Personal Wellbeing Questions

    The Office for National Statistics ONS3 are three subjective measures designed to capture key aspects of personal well-being in the general population. These questions assess three core domains of well-being: evaluative, eudemonic, and affective. Respondents are asked to rate the three questions on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (completely).

    Higher scores reflect greater well-being

    Measured: Baseline, 3 and 6 months

  7. Depression: Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire.

    The SMFQ is a 13-item scale questionnaire. Each item reflects core symptoms of depression based on DSM criteria, such as sadness, tiredness, irritability, and feelings of worthlessness. Respondents rate how true each statement has been over the past two weeks on a 3-point Likert scale: "Not True", "Sometimes True", or "True".

    Higher scores reflect greater levels of depressive traits.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 and 6 months

  8. Anxiety: Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 Questionnaire.

    The GAD-7 includes 7 items, each reflecting a DSM-IV symptom of generalized anxiety disorder such as excessive worry, nervousness, and difficulty relaxing. Respondents are asked how often they were bothered by each symptom over the past two weeks, using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "Not at all" to "Nearly every day." Total scores range from 0 to 21, with cutoff points identifying mild (5), moderate (10), and severe (15) anxiety.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 and 6 months

  9. Stress: Perceived Stress Scale-4.

    The PSS-4 includes four questions evaluating how unpredictable, uncontrollable, and overloaded individuals find their lives. Responses are given on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 ("Never") to 4 ("Very often"). Higher scores indicate greater perceived stress.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 and 6 months

  10. Service Use: Short-Client Service Receipt of Inventory.

    The CSRI gathers detailed information on service contacts, informal care, medication use, employment, and accommodation over a specified recall period, in this instance, 3 months.

    The first 9 questions on frequency of healthcare service use are scored on a 6-point Likert scale, ranging from 0 'not at all', to 6 'once per day'. Higher scores indicate more contact with services.

    The next 2 questions explore contact with emergency healthcare services (accident and emergency and inpatient admission' and are scored 1 'no' or 2 'yes'. Higher scores indicate more contact with emergency services. For inpatient admission, patients are also asked to specify the number of days they were in hospital.

    The next question explore the impact and support of mental health on an individual's school or workplace. One question asks how many days were missed at school or the individual's workplace because of mental health difficulties. Scores range from 0-93 with higher scores indicating more days missed

    Measured: Baseline, 3 and 6 months

  11. Quality of Life: Child Health Utility-9D.

    The Child Health Utility-9D (CHU-9D) was developed to address the lack of generic preference-based measures specifically designed for children. The CHU-9D encompasses both shared and unique dimensions compared to other instruments. Common areas include pain and usual activities, while child-specific dimensions include schoolwork/homework, tiredness, and sleep. CHU9D is assessed using 9 questions on a five-point Likert scale (scoring between 1-5). Higher scores indicate higher quality of life.

    Measured: Baseline, 3 and 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Aug 2025
  2. Study start15 Sep 2025 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion28 Feb 2027 (estimated)
  4. Study completion31 May 2027 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
120 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07143383
Sponsor's protocol ID
177012
Acronym
CASPA
Status last verified
Sep 2025
First submitted
19 Aug 2025
Last updated
10 Sep 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided: Some IPD data will be shared but specific data is being currently discussed with the funder. We will update this record when we know more.

Publications

  • Weiner BJ, Lewis CC, Stanick C, Powell BJ, Dorsey CN, Clary AS, Boynton MH, Halko H. Psychometric assessment of three newly developed implementation outcome measures. Implement Sci. 2017 Aug 29;12(1):108. doi: 10.1186/s13012-017-0635-3.

    PubMed 28851459
  • Stevens K. Developing a descriptive system for a new preference-based measure of health-related quality of life for children. Qual Life Res. 2009 Oct;18(8):1105-13. doi: 10.1007/s11136-009-9524-9. Epub 2009 Aug 20.

    PubMed 19693703
  • Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.

    PubMed 16717171
  • PISA (2022): PISA 2022 Assessment and Analytical Framework. OECD; 2023. doi:10.1787/dfe0bf9c-en

  • ONS (2003). Personal well-being in the UK: April 2022 to March 2023. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/measuringnationalwellbeing/april2022tomarch2023

  • MSC (2011): UCL Social Research Institute Centre for Longitudinal Studies (2011). MCS Age 11 Child Self-Completion Questionnaire: England.

  • EBPU. Session Feedback Questionnaire . London; 2012. Available: https://www.corc.uk.net/media/1405/sfq_questionnaire.pdf

  • MacDermott, S. T., Gullone, E., Allen, J. S., King, N. J., & Tonge, B. (2010). The emotion regulation index for children and adolescents (ERICA): A psychometric investigation. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 32(3), 301-314. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-009-9154-0

  • Demkowicz, O., Panayiotou, M., Ashworth, E., Humphrey, N., & Deighton, J. (2019). The factor structure of the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale in English adolescents. European Journal of Psychological Assessment.

  • Angold, A., Costello, E. J., Messer, S. C., Pickles, A., Winder, F., & Silver, D. (1995). Development of a short questionnaire for use in epidemiological studies of depression in children and adolescents (Vol. 5, pp. 237-249).

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