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Title: TikTok ripe with mental health misinformation, new study reports

Date: Tue, 03 Jun 2025 15:03:59 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-...

The internet is both excellent and horrible at spreading information and
community. In one sense, it can provide access to so many people and
perspectives that aren't available in a person's day-to-day life. At the same
time, it can be ripe with misinformation and people who cause more harm than
good.

Now, a new study from The Guardian is revealing just how intertwined these
two things can be. An investigation found that 52 out of the top 100 videos
tagged #mentalhealthtips contained at least some misinformation, according to
a team of mental health professionals. These clips discussed conditions and
experiences such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma,
neurodivergence and more.

"TikTok is spreading misinformation by suggesting that there are secret
universal tips and truths that may actually make a viewer feel even worse,
like a failure, when these tips donΓÇÖt simply cure," said Amber Johnston, a
British Psychological Society-accredited psychologist, who reviewed videos
about trauma for The Guardian.

The experts identified four major themes within the misleading and inaccurate
information. The first, pathologizing normal emotions, came in videos that
described everyday feelings, such as tiredness or feeling anxiety around
changes, as clear indicators of specific mental health disorders. They seemed
to imply that experiencing any symptoms of a mental health disorder meant the
viewer must be living with it.

Then there was misuse of therapeutic language, whether through inaccurately
describing a mental health disorder or using words like abuse, to explain
certain actions, without context or nuance. The third category was reportedly
the most common: unevidenced treatments and false claims. These clips include
claims that a certain method can heal trauma in just one hour, that ingesting
certain things causes depression and that manufactured supplements will ease
anxiety.

The last theme identified was anecdotal evidence. Videos in this area
included recommendations to get inpatient treatment solely based on the
creators' own experiences. Another showed someone in a hospital gown who
implied that they were in a psychiatric unit for being too honest with their
therapist.

Misinformation is a tremendous issue across social media platforms, with many
companies doing little to nothing about it. Take Meta, for example, which
removed its fact-checking program in the US this past April. Instead, it has
opted for community notes that allow for crowdsourced responses to posts.

TikTok has made multiple claims over the years that it's removing
"problematic" content and inaccurate videos. In a statement shared with The
Guardian, a TikTok spokesperson commended the app for being a place people
can share and get support for their mental health experiences. "There are
clear limitations to the methodology of this study, which opposes this free
expression and suggests that people should not be allowed to share their own
stories."

The spokesperson added that TikTok works with the World Health Organization
and the NHS in the UK to provide accurate information, further claiming that
the app removes 98 percent of "harmful misinformation before itΓÇÖs reported
to us."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/social-media/tiktok-...
misinformation-new-study-reports-150359735.html?src=rss

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