Tiktok Misinformation About Adhd Is Misleading Young Adults: Study

New research found that most of the popular content about ADHD on TikTok is medically inaccurate. Westend61/Getty Images

• A new analysis found that medical misinformation about ADHD is prevalent on TikTok, with the content significantly shaping how young people view the condition.
• The issue could highlight a demographic reaching for answers that may be facing barriers to care, researchers say. 
• For those wondering whether they have ADHD, there are some strategies for identifying medically accurate information and seeking out the support they need.

Information about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is abundant on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, fueling concern about mis- and self-diagnosis. 

This isn’t a new phenomenon. For the past few decades, public discussions about the neurodivergent condition have centered on arguments about whether it is overdiagnosed or overmedicated.

Social media has only enhanced the debate. As many young adults turn to platforms like TikTok and Instagram to gather information about ADHD, medical professionals often remain critical of any form of self-diagnosis.

A new analysis, published March 19 in PLOS One, found that most of the popular content about ADHD on TikTok is medically inaccurate and that insights provided by some content creators do not mirror those of mental health professionals. 

Vasileia Karasavva, a co-author of the research and a PhD student at the University of British Columbia, told Healthline the study highlights an issue for many young people: they just don’t have the resources to get answers.

“I don’t think there’s anything more human than trying to understand your own experiences and your own self and how you feel. And I think what we’re tapping into is people struggling, but then not having access to places that they can get good support and help. And so they have to rely on themselves. They have to rely on whatever is easily available to them, and that’s social media,” Karasavva said.

More than half of ADHD claims on TikTok are misleading

The new analysis includes two studies. During the first stage, the researchers recorded the first 100 videos listed in order of view count under the hashtag #ADHD. Those videos were then assessed by two authors, both longtime clinical psychologists who sought to determine the accuracy of the claims made in the videos, who then rated them.

The other two authors, PhD students, noted the number and nature of claims made in the videos and the video metrics for each video and also identified when content creators mentioned selling services or asking for money. 

At this stage, the psychologists found that fewer than half (48.7%) of the claims being made about ADHD were accurate and that the majority of the inaccurate claims (68.5%) better described a “normal human experience.”

During the second study, 843 participants — some with a formal ADHD diagnosis, some who were self-diagnosed, and some who did not have ADHD — were asked to watch and rate the top five and bottom five rated videos from the first study.

They were then asked a number of questions, including how they experienced this sort of content on TikTok. They were also asked to rate how much they would recommend these videos to others. 

The results show that the participants, all young adults, rated the accurate videos significantly lower and the less accurate videos higher significantly than the psychology professionals involved in the study.

The study also showed that, of the 100 videos, none of the creators listed shared a credential at the doctoral level, and only 1.6% of creators shared a Master’s level of education. The vast majority of creators (83.6%) cited lived experience as the foundation of their content. 

Karasavva said the research team was surprised that half of the content creators making these videos incorporated some form of sales tactic via links to sites like Venmo and Amazon.

“While some of these product requests may be legitimate, I think it also raises some important questions about how ADHD has been commercialized online, on social media, and we also have to question if viewers are getting reliable and science-backed information, or [if] they are just being seen as potential customers, encouraged to buy things that might not actually help them,” she noted.

Don T. Galbadage, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at Texas Christian University whose work focuses on public health education, said the study highlights the need for social media consumers to use formalized informational resources from organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institute of Mental Health.

He told Healthline the article provides a key question for those in public health to ask themselves as they work to provide the best information about conditions like ADHD.

“How can we help empower our consumers to know what is good content [and] what is reliable content? This study helps show there is a disconnect between good information versus more popular information,” Galbadage noted.

Self-diagnosing ADHD isn’t reliable

Ashwini Nadkarni, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the faculty’s interim vice chair of faculty development, said those who rely on ADHD-related content online could have other symptoms that are missed or not attended to by a physician. 

“I think what the study tells us is that what people see on TikTok probably should not be experienced as gospel,” Nadkarni told Healthline.

“You know, it’s ultimately anecdotal content, and it can lead to people misattributing normal behaviors or behaviors that can be explained by other conditions to be signs of ADHD.”

Jess Rauchberg, PhD, a digital media scholar and former social media content creator who is now an assistant professor at Seton Hall University, noted the study’s findings reflect a social media algorithm shaping what users continue to see.

“TikTok’s algorithmic recommendation system is saying, this person wants to hear about ADHD or diagnosis and self-diagnosis,” Rauchberg told Healthline.

“I think it [the study] shows that self-diagnosis is really, really complicated. It’s an important moment to think about media literacy. Media isn’t reality but can shape our understanding of what’s real. And so I think that’s an important thread in this panic about self-diagnosis and digital platforms that is often missing from the media hype around these conversations or debates.”

Ask your doctor about ADHD

If social media users are inundated with inaccurate ADHD-related content, how can they best educate themselves?

Rauchberg, who authored a research article on TikTok and autism, suggested looking to creators who have professional credentials and also understand the platform’s nuances (e.g., using the green screen feature or stitching from another person’s video) to help inform without disregarding other people’s lived experiences.

“I think medical professionals can use the affordances of these platforms and they have a responsibility to utilize them to help people understand information,” Rauchberg said.

“Because I want to clarify that TikTok isn’t necessarily the problem; it’s how you’re using TikTok to create content that can tell people about diagnosis or these ideas. And what this study shows is that there’s a role that these practitioners can play in helping young people… understand what they can find and information that they can empower themselves with.”

Nadkarni said those who see their experiences reflected in this content could seek support from a medical professional who can help sort fact from fiction. This could help distinguish between anecdotal evidence on social media and science-backed diagnostic procedures.

“If you’re really curious or concerned about something, the key next step is to make an appointment to see your doctor and really ask them the question,” Nadkarni said.