DETROIT – Social media is playing a growing role in raising awareness of mental health issues and disorders like ADHD, but there are concerns about some of the information being shared.
Related: Why ADHD is underdiagnosed in adult women -- and what you can do about it
Raising awareness is a good thing, but experts are finding misinformation about ADHD may also be putting some people at risk, leading them to diagnose themselves and not necessarily seek professional care.
“I think the whole conversation around mental health, of course, has changed for the better in the sense that people are actually quite open and honest about talking about their individual struggles,” said Dr. Athony Yeung. “But the challenge or the flip side of it is that it almost becomes talked about term in the popular sphere where clinical terms might start to get misused.”
Yeung, a clinical psychiatrist, and his colleagues started studying ADHD videos on social media after noticing more patients coming in for help with focus and concentration.
Their research found of the top 100 most popular videos on ADHD, 52% were misleading, 27% were personal experiences, and 21% were useful.
Yeung is concerned more people are diagnosing themselves with ADHD and potentially getting treatment they may not need.
“If everybody starts identifying themselves as having ADHD, if like 10% becomes 20% becomes 30 becomes 50 becomes 60%, then really, what is the disorder that we’re talking about here? Where are we drawing the line?” Yeung asked.
If you suspect you may have ADHD, it’s important to reach out to your doctor, to begin the process of getting formally evaluated.
More: Health news