TikTok Misinformation Is Warping Young People's Understanding of ADHD

Some 1.8 billion people log into TikTok at least once a month, spending an average of 95 minutes per day being engaged, entertained, and even educated by the app.

Those are phenomenal numbers, but a new study shows the platform isn't the most reliable source for information, particularly when it comes to health conditions like ADHD.

A team led by researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada found that of the top 100 most-viewed TikTok videos tagged for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) content, fewer than half matched the professional diagnostic criteria for the condition.

The videos – which had collectively racked up nearly half a billion views in total – were largely based on personal experience and opinion. They often missed the nuances of ADHD, such as the way symptoms can differ between people.

"TikTok can be an incredible tool for raising awareness and reducing stigma, but it also has a downside," says UBC clinical psychologist Vasileia Karasavva.

"Anecdotes and personal experiences are powerful, but when they lack context, they can lead to misunderstandings about ADHD and mental health in general."

The researchers also ran an experiment using the top 100's five most accurate and five least accurate videos, as judged by clinical psychologists. These 10 clips were then shown to 843 undergraduates taking an introductory psychology course, who were asked to rate them based on their perceived educational value.

While the best five videos scored an average of 3.6 from psychologists for accuracy, they only got a score of 2.8 from the students. The worst five videos for accuracy scored 1.1 from psychologists, but 2.3 from students.

The implications are clear: there's a significant gap between expert opinions on TikTok's ADHD videos and those of casual viewers. Such potential for misinformation could interfere with the public's understanding of the condition, which could affect how many are diagnosed and treated.

"Our findings highlight a discrepancy between mental health professionals and young adults regarding the psychoeducational value of ADHD content on TikTok," write the researchers in their published paper.

"Addressing this is crucial to improving access to treatment and enhancing support for those with ADHD."

The study also showed that students who viewed more ADHD content in general were more likely to share it with others, and that they were more likely to think that ADHD is more common than it actually is.

Content creators on TikTok are rewarded for attracting views rather than providing accurate information, the researchers point out, and they'd also like to see more expert content from health professionals shared on the app.

The researchers aren't anti-TikTok, and acknowledge its value in building community and reaching young people. But they're also encouraging TikTok viewers to look for other, more reputable sources of information.

"Some young adults turn to TikTok because of access barriers, or negative experiences they have had with mental health professionals," says Amori Mikami, a professor of psychology at UBC.

The research has been published in PLOS One.