A recent study has revealed that nearly half of the most popular ADHD videos on TikTok contain misleading information that does not align with official diagnoses. Published in PLOS One on Wednesday, the study investigated the role of TikTok as an educational platform for ADHD.
ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, is a condition that impacts focus, self-control, and impulse regulation, making it challenging to maintain organization and attention, as stated by the National Institute of Mental Health. To evaluate the accuracy of TikTok content offering information and advice on ADHD, two licensed psychologists reviewed the top 100 most-viewed TikTok videos tagged with #ADHD and assessed their reliability based on diagnostic criteria used by mental health professionals.
Despite accumulating nearly half a billion views collectively, only around 49% of the claims made in these videos were deemed accurate by the psychologists. They observed that symptoms were often oversimplified, failing to address the variability of ADHD among individuals. The study identified various categories of misinformation, as explained by the lead author and PhD student at the University of British Columbia, Vasileia Karasavva, including behaviors more aligned with other mental illnesses, symptoms not constituting diagnostic criteria, and information unrelated to ADHD or other mental health conditions.
Moreover, the research discovered that only approximately 20% of video creators disclosed their credentials, none of whom were licensed professionals in psychology, psychiatry, or medicine. Furthermore, over 50% of creators seemed to have financial motives, promoting ADHD-related products or seeking donations.
Karasavva advised caution when encountering confident individuals selling products and recommended looking for credible sources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the American Psychiatric Association. The study also involved a survey of 843 undergraduate students aged 18-25, categorizing them based on ADHD diagnosis status. Participants who self-diagnosed watched the most TikTok videos and tended to trust their accuracy. They also overestimated the prevalence of ADHD compared to other groups.
Individuals watching a significant number of ADHD-related TikToks were equally likely to endorse both accurate and inaccurate content, indicating difficulty in distinguishing reliable information. For those who self-diagnosed, watching these videos reinforced their belief in having ADHD, while prompting those without the condition to question themselves.
Karasavva emphasized that mental health is a spectrum and social media is broadening access to information. She noted the frustration around the challenging and costly process of obtaining an ADHD diagnosis, leading to a sense of restricted mental health support.
These results underscore a notable disparity between mental health professionals and TikTok content creators in the dissemination of information.
In a recent study on TikTok content related to ADHD, Karasavva noted the importance of seeking help regardless of whether mental health professionals agree with information found on social media. The National Institutes of Health reports that ADHD affects around 5% of children and 3% of adults, often presenting alongside other conditions like learning disabilities, anxiety, and depression. Karasavva recommends consulting a mental health professional for an accurate diagnosis if ADHD is suspected. ABC News contacted TikTok for a response to the study but has not received a reply yet. Dr. Heya Batah, an internal medicine resident at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit, was mentioned in the report. A study revealed that a significant portion of ADHD advice on TikTok is misleading. This story was first published on goodmorningamerica.com.
