YouTube has significantly expanded its commitment to youth safety and wellbeing by launching a dedicated platform for mental health and wellbeing resources aimed specifically at teenagers. This new feature is designed to make credible, evidence-based information on common adolescent issues—including depression, anxiety, ADHD, and eating disorders—more easily and safely accessible to young users worldwide.
The new feature, according to a TechCrunch report, will initially roll out in key markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, France, and Australia. It presents a prominently curated shelf of videos from reputable organizations, ensuring the content is specifically tailored to meet the developmental needs of teens and provide reliable, age-appropriate guidance on complex mental health concerns.
A YouTube spokesperson emphasized the collaborative effort: “To meet the needs of teens seeking mental health guidance, we worked with organizations around the world to produce content that is evidence-based, engaging, and teen-centric.”
The video platform has formed strategic alliances with several prominent institutions, including the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, The Jed Foundation, and the Child Mind Institute. These partnerships have resulted in content that features leading experts, researchers, and individuals with lived experiences, directly addressing the questions and struggles teens frequently face.
Johanna S. Kandel, Founder and CEO of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, highlighted the platform’s reach, stating that “Outside of Google, YouTube is the single biggest driver of outreach to our helpline.” She stressed that YouTube effectively connects seeking teens directly to their support services.
Furthermore, The Jed Foundation collaborated with popular YouTube creators for their series titled Mind Matters, in which mental health experts discuss topics such as ADHD, anxiety, and depression in a relatable and friendly format. John A. MacPhee, CEO of The Jed Foundation, noted that this creator-expert pairing allows them to “uniquely get to the heart of important mental health topics that teens all face today.”
Dr. Harold Koplewicz, Founder and Medical Director of the Child Mind Institute, praised the initiative for its ability to reduce stigma, saying, “Meeting young people on platforms like YouTube helps break down barriers and stigma, and empowers them to seek support.” The Institute contributes through its own series, Project You Are Okay.
YouTube has also fortified its platform with multiple measures to ensure the content remains safe and credible for this demographic. The company has developed teen-specific guardrails, introduced health source information panels, and refined its ad revenue policies to further protect younger viewers. Crucially, the platform has also significantly tightened its guidance around content that promotes eating disorders.
“Our goal is to make YouTube a place where teens can safely find answers to their questions about mental health and wellbeing,” a company representative affirmed. The new rollout successfully positions YouTube as a trusted hub for teen mental health resources, combining expert insights, creator-led content, and rigorous safety measures to support adolescents navigating critical emotional and psychological challenges.
Key Highlights:
- YouTube has launched a new dedicated platform for mental health and wellbeing resources specifically for teenagers (13-17), rolling out initially in the US, UK, Canada, Mexico, France, and Australia.
- The feature displays a curated shelf of evidence-based videos from trusted sources (like the Child Mind Institute and the National Alliance for Eating Disorders) when teens search for terms like depression or anxiety.
- Key partners like The Jed Foundation created the Mind Matters series with creators to discuss issues like ADHD and anxiety in a relatable format, aiming to reduce stigma.
- The platform has simultaneously enhanced safety measures, including teen-specific guardrails, health source information panels, and tighter policies on content promoting eating disorders to ensure a safe environment.