Latest news with #BritishPsychologicalSociety-accredited
Engadget
14 hours ago
- General
- Engadget
TikTok ripe with mental health misinformation, new study reports
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 don't 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 it's reported to us."
New York Post
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Popular mental health videos on TikTok spread misinformation and pose a great risk, experts warned
More than half of the most popular TikTok videos about mental health peddle misinformation and pose a significant risk to users struggling with complex conditions, British experts warned. Users turning to the social media platform for instant relief and solutions to treat their trauma, depression or anxiety may end up feeling more distressed after taking the flawed advice, a recent study conducted by The Guardian revealed. '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 don't simply cure,' Amber Johnson, a British Psychological Society-accredited psychologist, told the outlet. 3 Videos on the platform may cause struggling users to feel even more distressed, a study conducted by The Guardian found. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement 'Each video is guilty of suggesting that everyone has the same experience of PTSD with similar symptoms that can easily be explained in a 30-second reel.' The study examined the top 100 videos posted under #mentalhealthtips on the platform, which were then reviewed by psychological professionals for accuracy and potential harm. Experts flagged 52 videos offering mental health advice on trauma, neurodivergence, anxiety, depression, and other serious disorders as misleading – with some clips dishing out vague and hollow fluff. Advertisement 'This is providing misinformation to impressionable people and can also trivialize the life experiences of people living with serious mental illness,' Dan Poulter, a National Health Service psychiatrist, said. 3 Experts cautioned that the dangerous tips could warp the public's understanding of mental illness. Natalia – Experts criticized the content for misusing therapeutic language, offering counsel rooted in personal experience, and making sweeping generalizations while also minimizing the complexities of certain mental health conditions, the outlet reported. They cautioned that the dangerous tips could warp the public's understanding of mental illness and urged government officials to implement stronger safeguards against the spread of harmful misinformation. Advertisement 'Short-form, attention-grabbing soundbites can sometimes overshadow the more nuanced realities of qualified therapeutic work,' said David Okai, a psychological medical researcher at King's College London. 3 Experts criticized the content for misusing therapeutic language and offering counsel rooted in personal experience. Andrii Yalanskyi – In response to the outlet's findings, TikTok boasted the platform for providing a space where millions of people can express themselves and share their 'authentic' mental health journeys. 'There are clear limitations to the methodology of this study, which opposes free expression and suggests that people should not be allowed to share their own stores,' a spokesperson told The Guardian. Advertisement 'We proactively work with health experts at the World Health Organization and NHS to promote reliable information on our platform and remove 98% of harmful misinformation before it's reported to us.' The popular app is currently facing several lawsuits in the US accusing it of harming children's mental health with addictive features and dangerous content and causing high rates of depression and anxiety.
