Advancing global mental health through social media engagement: lessons from an international professional organization (IACAPAP)

AI Summary

Social media enables global engagement to promote child and adolescent mental health literacy, education and advocacy, and to counter misinformation and stigma.
Professional organisations must address ethics, governance, credibility and responsible engagement when working with vulnerable children and adolescents online.
The ABLE-GA framework provides practical guidance: Alignment, Boundaries, Language, Ethics, Governance and Adaptation for ethical, strategic social media use by professional bodies.

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2026 May 23;20(1):72. doi: 10.1186/s13034-026-01095-4.

ABSTRACT

Since the emergence of social media in 2004, it has become an increasingly influential medium for communication, education, and advocacy within healthcare. For child and adolescent mental health, it offers unique opportunities to engage a diverse global audience, promote mental health literacy, galvanize partners in advocating for children’s mental health and counter misinformation and stigma. At the same time, the use of social media by professional medical organizations raises important questions related to ethics, governance, credibility, and responsible engagement, particularly when working with vulnerable populations such as children and adolescents. Despite the widespread adoption of social media by health professionals and organizations, there is limited guidance on how international professional bodies can strategically and ethically navigate this evolving digital landscape. Here, we draw on our experience managing the social media platforms of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP), a global organization representing mental health professionals across disciplines and regions. We describe the objectives and scope of IACAPAP’s social media activities, including mental health promotion, professional education, and advocacy, and outline key strategies used and challenges encountered to tailor content across platforms. Based on these experiences, we propose the “ABLE-GA” framework to support responsible social media engagement by professional medical organizations. ABLE-GA stands for Alignment, Boundaries, Language, Ethics, Governance and Adaptation. By sharing lessons learned from IACAPAP’s experience, this commentary aims to contribute to the emerging discourse on the role of social media in child and adolescent mental health and to offer practical insights for professional organizations seeking to use digital platforms effectively and ethically.

PMID:42177526 | DOI:10.1186/s13034-026-01095-4

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