Geographical inequity in out-of-pocket costs for families of children with congenital heart disease requiring neurodevelopment support: an examination of policy scenarios using economic modelling.

Poor mental health and social isolation are increasing among young people []. Belonging—feeling connected to and accepted by others through supportive interpersonal relationships has been shown to be an important factor in improving mental health and overcoming loneliness in adolescent populations [, ]. A greater sense of school belonging has been associated with a wide array of personal and social benefits including increased psychological wellbeing [] and reduced instances of school violence, truancy, mental illness and bullying [–]. There is, however, a lack of evidence-based interventions addressing belonging, particularly in schools, where socialisation plays a distinct and key role []. Evidence-based school interventions could therefore be implemented to promote belonging, making use of an opportunistic target and potentially improving outcomes for adolescents []. Digital technologies offer enormous potential for adolescent health promotion and management [, ]. The ASP-Belong programme of research has developed , a novel intervention whose feasibility has been established through a proof-of-concept prototype [, ]. uses smartphones to deliver an in-person group experience, in a classroom, that combines immersive storytelling, augmented reality, collaborative gameplay and evidence-based psychotherapeutic techniques to strengthen sense of belonging within the classroom.