False online posts fuel self-diagnosis, says study

Inaccurate social media posts about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism are linked to a rise in young people believing they have neurodevelopmental conditions, researchers have said.

Experts from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich and mental health Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust examined the quality of information on social media.

They analysed several studies that had assessed posts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and X, and said there was a "clear need" for more high-quality information on social media.

Dr Alice Carter, from UEA, said 52% of ADHD-related videos and 41% of autism videos on TikTok were inaccurate, something TikTok disputed.

Researchers examined 27 studies concerning 5,057 social media posts.

The rating given for misinformation ranged from 0% for videos about anxiety and depression from YouTube Kids, to 56.9% for claustrophobia videos on YouTube, the authors wrote in The Journal of Social Media Research.

The researchers said misinformation prevalence was "consistently higher on TikTok than other platforms".

YouTube Kids was the only platform to have no misinformation on some topics "likely due to the implementation of stricter content moderation and prioritisation of child-friendly content", the authors said.

The research team found that posts about ADHD and autism were more likely to contain misinformation compared with mental health topics.

Dr Eleanor Chatburn, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said many young people were turning to social media to understand their symptoms.

"While this questioning can be a helpful starting point, it's important these questions lead to proper clinical assessment with a professional," she said.

"As well as leading to misunderstanding of serious conditions and pathologising ordinary behaviour, misinformation can also lead to delayed diagnosis for people that actually do need help."

TikTok's algorithms could often push misinformation, the authors said, and they called for "strengthened content moderation".

A spokesperson for TikTok hit back at what it called a "flawed study" that relied on "outdated research about multiple platforms".

"The facts are that we remove harmful health misinformation and provide access to reliable information from the World Health Organization, so that our community can express themselves about what matters to them and find support," they added.

Judith Brown, head of evidence and research at the National Autistic Society, said the study showed "how rapidly" misinformation can spread on social media.

"Social media companies should think about how to improve their platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation," she added.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.