An uptick in mental health videos on TikTok can raise acceptance and awareness of psychological issues, but experts warn it can also be misleading and dangerous.
“It's excellent to be de-stigmatizing mental health and getting that information out there online and through TikTok,” said Emily Hemendinger, MPH, LCSW, clinical director of the OCD Program and assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. “However, creators are often not experts, and can mislead viewers and prevent them from seeking professional help.”
“Many of these TikToks are taking human emotions and experiences and trying to categorize them into those neat boxes of a diagnosis,” said Hemendinger. “This can lead viewers to misunderstand something that a trained mental health professional – who has also collected additional information on that person's symptoms, functioning, history – can interpret.”
In the following Q&A, Hemendinger provides a roadmap on how to spot suspect mental health advice on TikTok and how to form a better relationship with the platform.