“Just a quick reminder that anything you do with ADHD has a 100 percent relapse rate.” Quotes like these, spoken with unshakeable certainty on TikTok, are entertaining millions of people but they are grossly incorrect. A new study shows that almost half of the highest-rated ADHD themed TikTok videos do not agree with clinical recommendations, and young adults find themselves having to navigate through a labyrinth of false information concerning this complicated neurodevelopmental condition.
ADHD, which impacts an estimated three to seven percent of adults globally, is also commonly misconceived. Its signature symptoms lack of ability to pay attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity may also differ widely among individuals. However, on TikTok, simplistic assertions and anecdotal observations tend to be put forward as the absolute truth. As per Vasileia Karasavva, the lead author of the research and PhD student in clinical psychology, “Anecdotes and personal experiences are powerful, but when they lack context, they can lead to misunderstandings about ADHD and mental health in general.”
The research, published in PLOS One, examined the 100 most watched TikTok videos that have the hashtag ADHD. In spite of their combined popularity gaining close to half a billion views fewer than half of the assertions presented in these videos were found to be accurate by clinical psychologists. Deceptive content varied from attributing symptoms such as mood swings and anxiety to ADHD, to presenting non-validated coping mechanisms. One video even asserted that people with ADHD have no “object permanence,” a notion more related to developmental psychology than to ADHD.
This misinformation is not an innocent error it’s influencing young adults’ perceptions of ADHD. The more TikTok content about ADHD that a person views, the more they will tend to overestimate the frequency and severity of symptoms in the general population. Scarily, viewers frequently don’t differentiate between good and bad content, suggesting videos without regard to their accuracy. Among self-diagnosed individuals, these videos can reinforce beliefs about having ADHD, while others without the condition may begin questioning whether they do.
Adding to the alarm, the research discovered that more than 50% of the creators of these trending videos had monetary motivations, including promoting ADHD related items or asking for donations. Karasavva warns, “Be cautious of people who appear very confident and are selling you something,” Karasavva cautioned. “Try and see if they cite any credible sources like the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] or the American Psychiatric Association.”
TikTok’s algorithm makes things even more complicated. Designed to optimize engagement, it presents users with content that is tailored to their viewing history, an echo chamber effect. This effect makes pre-existing beliefs more credible the more they are consumed. As Karasavva puts it, “Repeated exposure to content that aligns with one’s pre-existing beliefs increases the content’s perceived credibility and the probability of sharing it, a phenomenon referred to as the echo-chamber effect.”
The chasm between mental health professionals and TikTokers is wide. Clinical psychologists gave the most reliable ADHD videos a score of 3.6 out of five, but young adults graded them lower at 2.8. On the other hand, the least reliable videos scored a 1.1 with psychologists but were rated much higher 2.3 by young adults. This disparity reflects the need for professional intervention on platforms such as TikTok.
“Some young adults turn to TikTok because of access barriers, or negative experiences they have had with mental health professionals,” according to Dr. Amori Mikami, the study’s senior author and University of British Columbia professor of psychology. “It is also our responsibility to address equity gaps in who can see a psychologist.”
Therefore, how do young adults steer clear of the ocean of ADHD content on TikTok without becoming victims of misinformation? Experts advise fact-checking social media statements with credible sources such as medical websites or books, seeking advice from healthcare providers, and wondering whether stress or anxiety could be behind challenges before attributing it to ADHD.
Ultimately, as wonderful as TikTok can be at raising awareness and challenging stigma, it’s obvious that the platform is a double edged sword. As Karasavva says, “Mental health exists on a spectrum, and social media is democratizing access to this information.”
For the time being, the best tip is to look at TikTok’s ADHD content with a critical eye and always keep expert approved resources as the top priority for learning about your mental health. Remember, the most trending tips aren’t necessarily the best ones.
