As people increasingly turn to social media for health advice, a new study finds that much of the content circulating on these online platforms about autism and mental health issues is misleading.
Researchers looked at more than 5,000 posts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X about topics ranging from autism to ADHD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, OCD, anxiety and phobias.
Misinformation was most common in posts about neurodivergence topics including autism and ADHD, according to findings published recently in the Journal of Social Media Research.
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Tiktok had the highest prevalence of unsubstantiated content, with 52% of ADHD videos and 41% of autism videos sharing inaccurate information. By contrast, YouTube Kids which features tighter moderation, had no misleading content about anxiety and depression and only 8.9% for ADHD.
“Our work uncovered misinformation rates on social media as high as 56%,” said Eleanor Chatburn, a clinical psychologist at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom who worked on the study. “This highlights how easily engaging videos can spread widely online, even when the information isn’t always accurate.”
Misinformation on social media can be particularly problematic because of the way that certain algorithms flood users with posts similar to ones they’ve previously shown interest in, the researchers said. This can lead people to needlessly worry that they have certain conditions or to delay appropriate care.
“When false ideas spread, they can feed stigma and make people less likely to reach out for support when they really need it,” Chatburn said. “On top of that, when people come across misleading advice about treatments, especially ones that aren’t backed by evidence, it can delay them from getting proper care and ultimately make things worse.”
Content created by healthcare professionals was more accurate, the study found, but relatively few posts come from such experts. The researchers indicated that health organizations and clinicians should do more to create and disseminate content and they said better moderation is needed.
“While lived-experience can play an important role, with personal stories helping people to feel understood and raising awareness of mental health conditions, it is vital to ensure that accurate and evidence-based information from clinicians and trusted organizations is also visible and easy to find,” said Alice Carter of the University of East Anglia, who led the study.
