HHS Announces $2 Million Funding Opportunity to Establish National Center of Excellence on Social Media and Mental Wellness

Effort Advances Biden-Harris Aim to Make Social Media Platforms Safer for Children and Youth

Building on President Biden’s Unity Agenda priority to tackle our nation’s mental health crisis, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing $2 million in funding to establish a national center of excellence (CoE) on social media and mental wellness. The purpose of the CoE will be to develop and disseminate information, guidance, and training on the impact—including benefits and risks—that social media use has on children and youth, especially the risks to their mental health. This CoE will also examine clinical and social interventions that can be used to mitigate the risks. Social media use can be associated with negative mental health outcomes, and children and youth are particularly vulnerable.

“In the past decade, the number of children and youth diagnosed with mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, has significantly increased, concurrent with significant increases in the amount of time children and youth are spending on social media,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “While there are benefits to social media use, there are clearly risks, too – especially when it comes to mental health. This new center will help us better protect children and youth from these harms.”

“We are concerned for the mental health of our children and youth,” said Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use and the leader of SAMHSA. “We know from research that some social media can be harmful to children’s and youths’ mental well-being. We expect this new Center will highlight best practices and guide us in protecting young people.”

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