Social media is full of mental illness advice, but experts say think twice before using it to self-diagnose – here’s why

Instagram, TikTok and other platforms are full of influencers’ videos about mental health issues, which more of us are using to self-diagnose our own problems

Experts say social media helps us understand mental illness, but explain why information found online is unreliable and shouldn’t replace professional help

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Are you scrolling social media to try to shed light on a mental health issue you may be suffering from? Experts say that while there’s nothing wrong with educating yourself online, information you find there shouldn’t be used to self-diagnose mental illness. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 5:15pm, 9 May 2024

If you have an undetermined health problem, you see a doctor, who makes a diagnosis. At least that is how it used to be. Nowadays, in the age of social media, self-diagnosis – most notably of mental illnesses – has become common.

On platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, people report how they self-diagnosed, say, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism – which, to be clear, are not mental illnesses. Many describe their symptoms and tell their tale of suffering. Some encourage others to do the same.

Mental health issues have been discussed on social media for quite a while. Sufferers, among them influencers and celebrities with large audiences, upload videos in which they talk about their disorder. And psychologists and psychotherapists post content on their speciality.

Be it ADHD, autism, depression or something else, pages of results will pop up if you search for them online.

Sometimes people don’t realise they may have a mental illness until they see something on social media – but only a specialist can make a definitive diagnosis, experts say. Photo: Getty Images

Berlin-based psychotherapist Umut Özdemir, who is also an author, lecturer and active social media user, thinks it is a good thing that social media is helping to destigmatise mental illnesses among young people.