Tiktok promotes ADHD self-diagnosis with misleading content, research shows

A new study reveals that Tiktok's most viewed ADHD videos often spread inaccurate information, blurring the line between relevant content and actual diagnosis, and raising a red flag among mental health experts.

study: Double-edged hashtag: #Relationship between ADHD-related Tiktok content evaluation and ADHD recognition. Image credit: PeopleImages.com-Yuri A/ShutterStock.com

recently PLOS 1 The study investigates the quality of psychoed education in tiktok content regarding attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on the perspectives of mental health professionals and young adults.

Social media content on mental health concerns

ADHD is characterized by hyperactivity, carelessness, and impulsivity. Current estimates show that 3-7% of adults are diagnosed with ADHD worldwide.

Social media platforms provide easy access to information about mental health conditions such as ADHD, depression, and anxiety. Unlike traditional sources, social media platforms allow individuals with mental health issues to share their experiences with others. However, lack of quality control over social media content increases the risk of misinformation.

For information on mental health, see Tiktok

Tiktok is a social media platform that allows users to post content in short video format. Over the past five years, it has become increasingly popular, with over 50 million active daily users spending more than an hour each day. In fact, a recent survey found that two out of five Americans prefer Tiktok over more traditional search engines, including 64% and 49% between Google, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, respectively.

Tiktok provides an environment where people can share experiences and connect with others in a similar state, seeking information about their mental health. In fact, mental health content, especially videos on autism and ADHD, are Tiktok's 10 most viewed health-related hashtags.

Importantly, social media platforms like Tiktok are not designed to provide effective mental education for their users. Furthermore, the lack of fact-checking mechanisms for social media content increases the risk of spreading inaccurate or misleading information. For example, a recent study reported that 41% of the most popular Tiktok videos that provide psychic education on autism are inaccurate, and 32% are overgeneralized.

About the research

The current study examined the credibility of available information about Tiktok ADHD, and assessed how Tiktok content in ADHD affected audience perceptions of this mental health condition.

Study 1 evaluated the properties of the general ADHD content of Tiktok designated as Study Question 1 (RQ1) and assessed whether these data were in line with clinical diagnostic criteria and treatment recommendations by mental health experts (RQ2). Study 2 assessed ADHD-related Tiktok content (RQ3), psychologist content ratings (RQ4), and how this content perceived how it assesses user perceptions of ADHD (R5) with or without self-reported ADHD.

At baseline, study participants provided information regarding the diagnosis of ADHD. Selected participants completed a questionnaire about demographics, diagnosis history, and symptoms. After the initial screening, 224 participants were classified into the “No ADHD” group, and in 198 the “Formal ADHD Diagnosis” group, and 421 in the “Self-diagnosis” group.

Each study participant was randomly asked to watch the top five Tiktok videos. Participants were then asked to rate the video based on the global score given by the psychologist.

Additionally, study participants were given the option to watch or avoid videos from the psychologist evaluationer of Study 1. This explained why certain videos received a higher score than others. Those who watched the expert video were then asked to reevaluate the Tiktok content and report whether their perception of ADHD had changed.

Tiktok's ADHD: Separate facts from false information

Study participants who were self-diagnosed using ADHD watched ADHD-related Tiktok content more frequently. This can be attributed to users find these videos related to their lives. It may also be enhanced by the Tiktok algorithm that learns from the user's clock history.

Many videos that claim to describe symptoms of ADHD are diagnostic disorders, and some content reflect the normal human experience. This observation shows that certain Tiktok creators focus on breadth rather than content specificity, attracting more audiences.

Clinical psychologists reported that information on Tiktok videos is not accurate. This also reflects previous reports by healthcare professionals who believe they mislead Tiktok's ADHD-related content.

Following the evaluation of psychologists, Young Adults provided a positive view on five tiktok videos below the top five. However, the top five videos were scored higher than the bottom five videos, reflecting critical judgment.

A significant proportion of young adults with ADHD were interested in contacting mental health professionals. Compared to the ADHD diagnostic group, individuals who self-diagnosed ADHD were guaranteed to be free of this condition after watching the psychologist's explanation video.

Conclusion

Psychology experts report that most tiktok content is misleading and inaccurate, which is likely to contribute to an increase in self-diagnosis cases of ADHD. However, we found that individuals with a confirmed ADHD diagnosis with limited access to treatment would benefit from content that the author shared their experiences.