Sources & methodology
Where our claims come from
The figures and claims on this site trace to one of three things: published research, a named external dataset, or our own clearly labelled projections. Here they are, by theme.
These sources support the science of the field — social prescription and positive psychology — and the market context. They are not evidence of Yu!’s own outcomes, which we will measure in our first pilot. Yu! does not diagnose, treat, or cure. Where we project, we say so.
Market & industry
- Market size & growth of the digital-wellbeing sector. Grand View Research — Wellness Apps Market (2025). Grand View ↗
The problem: connection is health
- U.S. Surgeon General (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (Advisory). HHS ↗
- Holt-Lunstad (2024). Social connection as a critical factor for mental and physical health. World Psychiatry. DOI ↗
- Wang et al. (2023). Social isolation, loneliness and mortality: a meta-analysis of 90 cohort studies. Nature Human Behaviour. DOI ↗
- Hotz (2024). The Connection Cure. Simon & Schuster. Book ↗
For the full scientific bibliography — connection, movement, nature, art, service, belonging and flourishing, each verifiable by DOI — see our Science page →
Social prescription in practice
- NHS England (2019). The NHS Long Term Plan — social prescribing and the link-worker programme. NHS ↗
- Roland, Everington & Marshall (2020). Social prescribing — transforming the relationship between physicians and their patients. New England Journal of Medicine. DOI ↗
- Bickerdike et al. (2017). Social prescribing: less rhetoric and more reality. A systematic review. BMJ Open. DOI ↗
- USI & IBSA Foundation — “Cultura e Salute” university course (2025), Lugano. A multi-session course on medicine and social prescription, with USI, IBSA Foundation, EOC, the City of Lugano and the LAC. USI ↗
Measurement & frameworks
- Topp et al. (2015). The WHO-5 Well-Being Index: a systematic review. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. DOI ↗
- Shiffman, Stone & Hufford (2008). Ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. The research method that inspires our in-the-moment check-ins. DOI ↗
- Engel (1977). The need for a new medical model: a challenge for biomedicine (biopsychosocial model). Science. DOI ↗
- Seligman — PERMA · Allardt — Having, Loving, Being (HDLB). The wellbeing frameworks our 12 dimensions build on. See Science
Laws and rules we refer to
Methodology & financials
- Financial projections are our own bottom-up model — founder projections, not third-party estimates. Our model
We checked these ourselves, and it’s a short, honest list — not everything out there. Some links sit behind a publisher paywall or a cookie wall; the reference is what matters. If a source here doesn’t back a claim you’ve seen us make, tell us and we’ll fix it.
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