American Academy of Pediatrics receives $2M grant from HHS for new mental health center

Photo: Elva Etienne/Getty Images

As part of the Biden Administration’s Strategy to Address the National Mental Health Crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has awarded $2 million in funding to the American Academy of Pediatrics to establish a National Center of Excellence on Social Media and Mental Wellness.

The purpose of the center is to develop and disseminate information, guidance and training on the impact – including risks and benefits – that social media use has on children and young people, especially the risks to their mental health. It will also examine clinical and social interventions that can be used to prevent and mitigate the risks. 

Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA, said the establishment of the new center was spurred in part by the increasing numbers of young people being diagnosed with anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.

“Prior research has indicated that social media may be harmful, particularly to children and young people,” she said. “We expect this new center to shed light on this challenge and provide us with best practices and guide us in protecting young people.”

WHAT’S THE IMPACT

As stated in the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory on protecting youth mental health, there’s a wide range of causes for the national mental health crisis – but mounting evidence shows that social media is harmful to many kids’ and teens’ mental health, well-being and development.

Social media platforms are privately owned and are driven by algorithms to maximize user engagement for profit. Therefore, according to HHS, they can expose young people to content that may not be appropriate; can promote unhealthy social comparisons; can exacerbate social isolation, anxiety, self-doubt and depression; and can enable harassment, stalking and cyber bullying.

The center will focus on three priorities, the first being education and resources around the risks and benefits of social media use for children and youth.

It will also focus on culturally and linguistically appropriate technical assistance focusing on active learning, consultation, and support on how to best assist children and youth when interfacing with the digital world, with a focus on enhancing their mental health while reducing harm.

The last priority will center around best practices and research updates, said HHS.

The HHS funding provides $2 million per year for up to five years.

THE LARGER TREND

HHS in May said it would be providing close to $35 million in funding toward strengthening and expanding mental health services and suicide prevention programs for children and young adults. Of the total, $9.2 million comes from the American Rescue Plan.

Mental health concerns keep rising among Americans of all backgrounds, especially those who are Black, young adults, older than 65 or who identify as LGBTQIA+, according to a CVS Health/Morning Consult Poll published in the spring.

It also showed that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans are largely more comfortable pursuing mental health support and feel positive about the technology used to deliver it, such as telehealth.

ON THE RECORD

“There are benefits to social media use, but there are clearly risks, too – especially when it comes to mental health,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This new center will help our families better protect our children from lurking dangers. And it’s one more example of HHS’ commitment to strengthen mental health.”
 

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com