Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Background Since the 2025 Presidential Inauguration, the Trump Administration has terminated billions of dollars in federal funding for science; however, the impacts of these grant terminations on the mental health and substance use fields have not yet been examined. We thus aimed to quantify and map the costs associated with federally funded mental health- and substance use-related grants that have been prematurely terminated. Methods We used a comprehensive dataset of grants terminated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) compiled from multiple sources. After identifying terminated mental health- and substance use-related grants from this database via a two-step screening process, we quantified their number and associated lost funding for each congressional district, which we visualized using a series of maps to examine trends and regional variations. Outcomes We identified 474 mental health- and/or substance use-related grants that were terminated by the NIH, NSF, or SAMHSA from February 28, 2025, through April 11, 2025, totaling $2,098,731,548 in lost funds. Congressional districts corresponding to urban centers with large academic and research institutions (e.g., New York City, Boston) experienced the most pronounced losses from NIH and NSF grants, whereas districts located throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southeast, and Southwest were the hardest hit by the termination of SAMHSA block grants (i.e., those used to pay for community mental health and substance use services). Interpretation Against a backdrop of ongoing and intersecting mental health and substance use crises, the Trump Administration has slashed research dollars on these topics, creating a chilling effect on the field. Such cuts are likely to destabilize existing mental health and substance use services and exacerbate inequities between and within U.S. states, ultimately intensifying the challenges faced by local communities. Funding None to report.
Source: medRxiv
Institutions: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University, rOpenSci
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fogarty International Center, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
OpenAlex ID: W4412866776