Many of Us are Turning to Social Media for Mental Health Advice
A 2025 survey of 2,565 Australians by Growth Distillery and Medibank, found that nearly 2 in 3 respondents use platforms like Instagram and TikTok as their main source of mental health and wellbeing information. 50% of the most viewed mental health videos on TikTok were shown to be misleading. A recent investigation by The Guardian analysed the 100 most viewed videos on TikTok tagged #mentalhealthtips.
A panel of qualified mental health experts found that 52 out of them contained misleading or harmful advice. Therapy-speak has gone viral. Terms like: 👉 Trauma👉 Gaslighting👉 Narcissist👉 Attachment style👉 Triggered👉 Dissociation are everywhere now... But they’re often taken out of context or wrongly defined.
We’re self-diagnosing. “If you do this one thing, you probably have ADHD.” “If they make you question yourself, it’s gaslighting.” “Don’t like conflict? That’s a trauma response.” “They don’t take accountability? Narcissist.” Comments like this encourage people to take on clinical labels without consulting a professional.
Why are more people self-diagnosing online? Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are: ✔️ Fast ✔️ Free ✔️ Relatable ✔️ Always available When professional support feels out of reach, self-diagnosis seemingly offers a short-cut to an explanation, identity and a sense of control. We're just trying to understand ourselves.
But without proper guidance, it’s easy to: ❌ Mislabel ❌ Mistake discomfort for disorder ❌ Miss the real issue ❌ Build your identity around a false diagnosis
Social media isn’t therapy. It can help: – Raise awareness – Spark important conversations – Show you're not alone – Plant a seed
Open your mind to possibilities.
But it can't give you everything you need. What can you do?
Be mindful who you choose to follow
Don’t assume what people say is accurate
Cross-check your sources
Talk to your GP, seek out an accredited therapist, contact a credible mental health service