Ice bucket challenge revival for mental health sparks controversy among ALS community

The Ice Bucket Challenge is back, but this time for a new cause.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that went mega-viral in the summer of 2014 had more than 17 million people on social media, and even celebrities on talk shows, dumping ice water over their heads.

The challenge, supported by the ALS Association, was intended to raise awareness of the disease. It ultimately raised $115 million toward ALS research and patient care.

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Eleven years later, the Ice Bucket Challenge has been revived by USC Mind, the University of South Carolina’s Mental Illness Needs Discussion club.

In support of a foundation called Active Minds, the country's largest mental health nonprofit for teens and young adults, the USC group launched the #SpeakYourMind Ice Bucket Challenge.

The challenge is taking off on social media and has raised nearly $400,000 on the event’s fundraising site.

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The trend revival has sparked some controversy for taking attention away from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

The average life expectancy after ALS diagnosis is typically two to five years, according to the ALS Association.

Brooke Eby, an ALS patient and influencer, posted a video on social media with the caption, "Watching people steal the ALS ice bucket challenge for a different cause when ALS still doesn’t have a cure and is 100% fatal. Fuming."

Michael Stone, another content creator and ALS patient, spoke out about the impact the challenge had on the ALS community.

"It is more than a trend," he printed in an infographic. "The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge changed lives."

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"Raising awareness for ALS is crucial because it leads to funding, and funding leads to research," Stone wrote. "What started as a viral challenge grew into something far greater: a worldwide effort that’s funding life-changing research and giving hope to those affected by this devastating disease."

Brian Frederick, the ALS Association's chief marketing and communications officer, shared the organization’s support for the revived movement.

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"We’re thrilled to see young people taking up the spirit of activism for mental health, but we also want people to know that ALS is still fatal and urgently needs a cure," Frederick said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"Mental health is an important issue in the ALS community, given the devastating physical, emotional and financial toll that ALS takes on entire families."

Frederick commented that the original ALS Ice Bucket Challenge "dramatically accelerated" the fight against ALS, which led to "new genes discovered, new treatments in the pipeline" and a significant increase in care services.

Since the challenge, the ALS Association has invested more than $150 million in ALS research, followed by nearly $1 billion in additional ALS research funding, according to Frederick.

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"We still have a long way to go to turn ALS from fatal to livable and cure it, but we’re grateful to everyone for taking the Ice Bucket Challenge and raising awareness of ALS and mental health," he added.

Cathy Cummings, CEO of the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations, noted that many people with ALS and their caregivers can face "serious mental health challenges," such as depression and anxiety.

"Using the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness around mental health supports our community as well," she told Fox News Digital. "We would like to hold space for multiple people’s experiences, without needing to pick which is more deserving." 

In a press release on Thursday, both the ALS Association and Active Minds announced they're teaming up in this new Ice Bucket Challenge for the month of May, which is both Mental Health Awareness Month and ALS Awareness Month.