PLoS One

TikTok's #ADHD content: Benefit or burden for public understanding?

March 24, 2025

A significant discrepancy exists between mental health professionals and young adults regarding the psychoeducational value of ADHD content on TikTok. Findings underscore the need to be aware of the potential misinformation on social media and to guide patients towards reliable sources of information to improve access to treatment and support for those with ADHD.

Study details: Researchers assessed the psychoeducational quality of TikTok content related to ADHD through two pre-registered studies. In Study 1, two clinical psychologists evaluated the top 100 #ADHD TikTok videos (amassing nearly half a billion views) for accuracy, nuance, and overall quality. In Study 2, a total of 843 undergraduate students were surveyed about their frequency of viewing #ADHD content and their perceptions of ADHD and were shown the top 5 and bottom 5 videos rated by psychologists in Study 1.

Results: Fewer than 50% of the claims about ADHD symptoms in the top 100 TikTok videos aligned with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. A higher frequency of viewing ADHD-related TikToks was associated with a greater willingness to recommend both high- and low-quality videos, a higher estimated prevalence of ADHD, and greater perceived challenges faced by those with ADHD.

Source:

Karasavva V, et al. (2025, March 19). PLoS One. A double-edged hashtag: Evaluation of #ADHD-related TikTok content and its associations with perceptions of ADHD. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40106389/