Funding for the TUBEDU consortium from the Academy of Finland

The Culture and Society Research Committee of Academy of Finland has granted funding of almost 24 million euros for 44 academy projects in the spring of 2022. Academy project funding was awarded to nine researchers at the University of Turku.

One funded research is YouTubers as peer mental health educators among adolescents (TUBEDU). Aim of the research is to investigate how mental health topics are embedded and emerged in popular YouTubers’ vlogs, how adolescents with mental health issues respond to, interpret, evaluate, and (co)-produce these messages, and how adolescents experience YouTubers’ roles as influencers and potential peer support. The consortium includes the University of Turku, Department of Nursing Science; Tampere University; and the University of Helsinki; and several national and international collaborators. The leader of the project is professor Katja Joronen.