Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 March 2024
671. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health if his Department has carried out or discussed any studies about the health impact of excessive use of mobile phones at a young age; if he is concerned about this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10154/24]
View answerMy department funds health research through the Health Research Board (HRB), the largest funder of health research in the state. HRB funding schemes are run as open, competitive calls and all eligible applications are internationally peer-reviewed by experts in the field. The HRB does not ring-fence funding for specific conditions. Therefore, applications in any topic area, including youth mental health and use of mobile phones, are welcome through all HRB grant schemes.
In 2023, HRB provided funding for a large programmatic award of €2.5 million over 51 months, starting in January 2024, entitled VISTA (Vision to Action for promoting Mental Health and Recovery) which is a research programme aimed at supporting the delivery of specific national recommendations outlined in ‘Sharing the Vision’ including a work package focused on social media and youth mental health, and one focused on digital interventions in youth mental health.
While the overarching intent of the programme is to design and evaluate evidence-based social media and digital interventions that can promote positive mental health and resilience and enhance access to and delivery of mental health services, the foundational aspects of the research seek to generate contemporary data on how young people in Ireland use social media and explore the relationship between social media use measures and mental health status.
Furthermore, my department in conjunction with the HRB has a track record of supporting mental health research, including for young people. In 2023, the HRB invested €7M to advance mental health research projects, almost a doubling of investment compared with the previous five years. This was made possible as a result of significant additional funding made available under Sharing the Vision and to advance research aligned with my departments Statement of Research Priorities.
Sharing the Vision emphasises the importance of mental health promotion, prevention, early intervention and recovery. The research projects funded will generate important and actionable evidence in areas such as improving the experience of involuntary care for young people in the Irish mental health service.
Not including the VISTA award above, between 2014 and 2023, my department in conjunction with the HRB invested €4,300,005 in projects linked specifically to youth mental health. This included themes such as informing youth suicidal prevention and mental health promotion and psychosocial supports for youth mental health.
