Snapchat Launches Mental Health Venture With Rickey Thompson, Maddie Ziegler, Others

Snap has tapped a faction of influencers to serve as mental health advocates in honor of World Mental Health Awareness Day.

The group, called Club Unity, will open up about their own mental health journeys on Snapchat and encourage other young people to do the same, with a focus on increasing support around BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth.

Club Unity consists of humanitarian and model Halima Aden, musicians Chloe x Halle, Rickey Thompson, basketballer Trae Young, dancer Maddie Ziegler, and creator Yusuf Omar.

In tandem with the formation of Club Unity, Snapchat has also launched a multi-year pact with mental health organization Active Minds, which operates 800 campus chapters across colleges and high schools nationwide. Snapchat will help Active Minds expand to more community colleges and HBCUs, with a goal of reaching more BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students.

Snapchat will also house a new suite of mental health resources in its Here For You hub, including tips about how to address tough conversations with friends, as well as active listening tips and daily affirmations. These resources — including new pertinent Lenses, Stickers, and Bitmojis — will also be promoted when Snapchatters search for terms like ‘anxiety’, ‘depression’, or ‘stress’, the company said.