Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing mental health research relating to the impact of social media on young people.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) supports mental health research through various funding streams. In 2020/21, the NIHR spent £109.5 million on mental health research. However, it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. The NIHR’s funding is available through open competition for mental health research and we encourage researchers to submit applications in this area.