Why Teens Are Using TikTok to Self-Diagnose Mental Health Conditions

Since TikTok made its North American debut in 2018, the social media app has rocketed in popularity, especially among teenagers. According to one 2022 Pew Research Center Study of American teens ages 13 to 17, 67% of those surveyed say they use the platform—of those, 16% say they use the app “almost constantly.”

In addition to using the platform to connect with their peers, teens are finding and creating content on TikTok in an effort to better understand their mental health. With insufficient access to mental health care —in schools or elsewhere—a growing number of young people have been turning to TikTok to self-diagnose certain mental health conditions, including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

As mental health content on TikTok becomes more prevalent, here’s what parents need to know about their teens using social media to diagnose themselves, including how to help a child seek support offline.

Why Are Teens Using TikTok to Self-Diagnose?

Experts agree that there are positives and negatives to the trend of teens turning to TikTok to learn more about mental health conditions. "While being aware that we may have these issues can be extremely beneficial, self-diagnosis can only help us so much," explains Nicole Kern, PsyD, school psychology. "It can also lead to people misdiagnosing themselves.”

Dr. Jessi Gold, MD, chief wellness officer at the University of Tennessee and associate professor of psychiatry, says that social media algorithms contribute to young people diagnosing themselves with a potential mental health disorder.

“It’s like confirmation bias,” Gold, author of How Do You Feel?: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine , says. “When you keep seeing more and more of these videos that tell you something is true, it’s logical to conclude that the (platform) wouldn’t be showing you that content if you didn’t have that mental health condition.”

Populations that historically go undiagnosed or under-diagnosed—such as people of color and women—are particularly susceptible to mental health TikTok content, in part because they lack the crucial access mental health resources that exist beyond social media.

"Not knowing why we have certain struggles is a huge barrier to forming a strong sense of self-esteem."

Nicole Kern, PsyD

For some, wanting to identify with a group can also lead to a self-diagnosis, especially at a time when teens are cultivating a sense of who they are and figuring out their true identity. “A self-diagnosis may help you with a ‘label,’” Gold adds, “but it’s not helping you learn how [mental health] may be interfering with your life.”

How Accurate Are TikTok Diagnoses?

Dr. Gold says that while it’s not unheard of for someone to accurately diagnose themselves with  a mental health issue as a result of social media content, it is rare. A diagnosis is often much more nuanced than what is being presented in a short online video.

“Many things can cause trouble concentrating,” Gold explains, referring to young people who diagnose themselves with ADHD —something she says is common in her practice. “I’m not doing my job if I just believe exactly what you’re saying and I don’t ask other questions. My job is to be a diagnostician.”

According to various studies, rates of mental health misdiagnosis vary depending on the condition. Misdiagnoses can also happen by professionals themselves. Kern says this happens, in part, because many mental health issues coincide and overlap.

“If we are only looking at one aspect of the big picture, we could be missing so much more,” Kern says. “Syndromes and illnesses can and often are comorbid with others—for instance, many people with ADHD also have anxiety . Simply treating one, while neglecting the other, can lead to years of continued struggles that could have been addressed if both were diagnosed and treated concurrently.”

Gold agrees, and says because social media posts on TikTok and other apps lack this exact kind of nuance, it can be easy for young people to misdiagnose themselves.

What Are the Risks of Teens Using TikTok to Self-Diagnose Mental Health Conditions?

Both Kern and Gold say the most prominent risk associated with teens self-diagnosing mental health issues via the internet is that they simply stop there, instead of taking that information to a licensed mental health professional .

“As the saying goes, ‘Knowing is half the battle,’” Kern explains. “Attempting to self-diagnose without a professional is not as helpful as speaking with a licensed practitioner who has the knowledge and experience to provide the tools to help address someone’s specific mental health needs.”

In addition to the risks of misdiagnosis, Gold says there is the added risk of a young person being so entrenched in their own online self-diagnosis that they’re not open to the possibility that that diagnosis could be wrong, or that there could be additional issues at play.

“It’s difficult in those circumstances,” she says. “Because the algorithm told you so...[a therapist] can be set up to be the ‘bad guy’ and counseling can feel dismissive.”

How to Respond If Your Teen Approaches You With a Self-Diagnosis

Gold says it’s important for parents to “appear curious and validating as much as possible” if their teen comes to them with their own mental health diagnosis.

Conversation Starters for Discussing a Self-Diagnosis With Your Child

• I’m really glad that you’re looking into things about yourself.
• Let’s watch those videos together and talk about them.
• What about that video resonates with you?
• Why do you think that is the case?
• What have you been experiencing that you have more questions about?

“Be curious, not dismissive and not judgmental of what your child is saying,” Gold adds. “Try to be open and even watch some of the videos with them...be on their team, praise them for caring about themselves and wanting to understand themselves.”

Gold says in doing so, you can then ask your child if they’re open about seeing a mental health care professional and, in addition, the possibility that their self-diagnosis is not entirely accurate. Ultimately, a social media self-diagnosis is ultimately a helpful bit of information for parents that can give them more information about their child.

“A self-diagnosis could tell you about some insecurities, self-esteem issues, or things they’re struggling with at school that they’re not otherwise telling you about,” Gold explains. “In being curious, you can learn a lot about your child.”

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