Member Engagement Application for Personalized Arts-Based Social Prescriptions

SocialRx Inc (dba Art Pharmacy) addresses the severe mental health crisis among youth in the United States by leveraging arts-based social prescribing, a model that harnesses the positive impact of real-world arts and cultural experiences on mental health and social connectivity. The broad, long-term objective is to revolutionize how healthcare systems and communities integrate these engagements into standard mental health support, thereby enhancing access to care for youth who face barriers related to provider shortages, high costs, stigma, and lack of trust or awareness. The proposed digital companion will complement Art Pharmacy’s existing care navigation services, offering a personalized, mobile-responsive experience that guides youth from intake and onboarding to the selection and attendance of arts and cultural events. By providing tailored recommendations for non-clinical community-based arts activities, gamified progress tracking, and streamlined communication channels, the app will increase motivation to attend in-person arts activities, enhance social connections, and support self-reported improvements in mental well-being. Phase I comprises the design and development of a minimum viable product (MVP) for the digital companion. Researchers will scope user journeys, design interfaces, and create content, then conduct a beta test of the MVP to gather quantitative and qualitative feedback on youth user usability and likeability. Stakeholder feedback from healthcare providers, payers, parents, and mental health experts will refine the product for real-world integration, resulting in an MVP that incorporates critical real-world functionality. In Phase II, a randomized controlled trial will evaluate the digital companion’s efficacy compared to a stable condition control group using validated mental health and social connection assessments. Finally, the research team will analyze experiences of non-responders to identify usability gaps and guide further improvements. This approach employs human-centered design principles, iterative product development, and systematic user feedback to demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of a scalable, technology- driven solution for addressing youth mental health challenges through arts and cultural engagements.