Youth Mental Health & TikTok

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This article seeks to inform readers about the importance of seeking professional mental health care rather than relying on social media for self-diagnosis, ultimately encouraging better mental health practices and awareness across online platforms.

In this article, I explore the rise of a concerning trend within the mental health space on TikTok: self-diagnosis. While TikTok has been praised for helping to reduce stigma and foster important conversations around mental health, the platform’s ease of access and its blend of personal stories and information can also lead to significant risks, especially for young people. Teens and young adults, often with little to no prior mental health education, are turning to TikTok to diagnose conditions such as ADHD, autism, and borderline personality disorder.

I interviewed leading mental health experts, including Dr. Doreen Dodgen-Magee, a psychologist, and Dr. Akua Boateng, a licensed psychotherapist, to understand the dangers behind this trend and to offer advice for viewers seeking mental health information. Both emphasize the importance of distinguishing between experiencing symptoms and actually having a disorder, stressing the complexity of psychiatric diagnoses and the risks of self-diagnosis, which may overlook underlying medical conditions or exacerbate mental health struggles.

The article also touches on the broader issue of mental health care access, particularly for minority groups, where stigma, socioeconomic barriers, and limited access to culturally competent care complicate the pursuit of professional diagnosis and treatment.