r/NoShitSherlock • u/IveFailedMyself • 16d ago
ADHD misinformation on TikTok is shaping young adults’ perceptions. An analysis of the 100 most-viewed TikTok videos related to ADHD revealed that fewer than half the claims about symptoms actually align with clinical guidelines for diagnosing ADHD.
https://news.ubc.ca/2025/03/adhd-misinformation-on-tiktok/5
u/Timothy303 15d ago
I have ADHD. This is not surprising to me.
All of the same misinformation exists on Reddit, too, just so we don't go feeling all high and mighty at the mention of TikTok. I belong to the ADHD subs here.
Luckily, most of the misinformation I see is just misguided pop psychology. That is better than it could be, as far as that goes. Because there is a strain of person out there who has an axe to grind along the lines of "ADHD is fake." I'm glad, at least, that the misinformation I see is not generally along those lines. (I'm sure that exists, too, but it is less prevalent and not the kind of thing this study mostly found, as I understand it).
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14d ago edited 14d ago
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u/Artistic-Mood7938 13d ago
I knew a guy who’s mom only saw him as someone w autism and that was it. It was so fucked up. He was a good guy but fucked over by his mom more than either of them would ever admit
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u/BurgerQueef69 15d ago
This article a great example of how an article can contain factual information and completely missing the point anyway.
I have ADHD, diagnosed as a child in the 1980s. I enjoy watching videos on TikTok about ADHD because it's so nice to hear other people talk about the same things I experienced. These videos may or may not talk about any of the official diagnostic criteria for ADHD, but can still be incredibly useful and helpful. I'll give an example.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is not part of the diagnostic criteria for ADD/ADHD, but it is common among people with ADHD. It's basically having an ultra sensitive reaction to perceived rejection, which may have no actual basis in reality. Watching those videos has greatly helped me recognize how and why I sometimes react the way that I do, and they have helped my marriage. Now, these videos are informal and don't contain any disclaimers or anything. It's just people sharing their stories, and they serve as an excellent starting point for people to do further research and talk to a professional if necessary.
Will some people will see them, think it fits, and diagnose themselves with ADHD? Of course, but that doesn't mean the videos aren't useful. It just means that mental health support is so poor in the US that people turn to self-diagnosis because they can't access the care they need to find out what is really going on, whether it's ADHD or something else.
TL;DR: The article is right but places the blame on people who lack access to mental health care instead of the lack of access to mental health care.
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u/Sea-Twist-7363 15d ago
Totally fair. I also have ADHD, and unfortunately have had situations where people have come across some of these videos and projected a misunderstanding of ADHD on me, to the point that I no longer share this information with the vast amount of people that I encounter, even though I am in an area where inclusivity is supported.
I suppose I can see it going both ways, and at one point in time, I thought it was good because of an awareness and removal of stigma. But having stigmas then projected in my direction has kind of put the whole thing in a different light for me.
I don’t mind it being talked about - I see that as a positive. I just wish it wouldn’t perpetuate a different type of stigma though.
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u/BurgerQueef69 15d ago
Yeah, I don't really share them, except a few with my wife. There is a lack of understanding about mental health in general, but more and better education is the answer. People need to realize that there is no one size fits all description of any disability or diagnosis and people need to be treated like people, not a diagnosis.
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u/IveFailedMyself 15d ago edited 15d ago
Here's a literally copy and past from the last paragraphs of the article, including sub headers:
The need for professional engagement on social media
Clinical psychologists and other mental health professionals could play a more active role in TikTok discussions around ADHD, the researchers say. By providing expert-backed content, they could help counter misinformation and ensure young people have access to reliable resources.
“Some young adults turn to TikTok because of access barriers, or negative experiences they have had with mental health professionals,” said Dr. Amori Mikami, a professor of psychology at UBC and the study’s senior author. “It is also our responsibility to address equity gaps in who can see a psychologist.”
A balanced approach to ADHD information
The study underscores the importance of seeking professional guidance when considering an ADHD diagnosis. While TikTok can be a valuable tool for community building, it should not replace evidence-based resources. The researchers advise young adults to:
Cross check TikTok information with reputable sources such as medical websites, books and healthcare professionals.
See doctors, therapists or university mental health services for guidance on ADHD and other concerns.
Consider whether stress, anxiety or cognitive overload could be contributing to difficulties before assuming you have ADHD.
Article is over, here's my say. Seems like they are actually putting blame on psychologists. The only blame they are putting on viewers is that maybe they should consume this information with skepticism, which is common sense, really.
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u/funge56 14d ago
If you were diagnosed with ADHD as a child get a second opinion now that you are an adult.
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u/Artistic-Mood7938 13d ago
I was undiagnosed as a kid w adhd struggled my entire life. Still struggle bc I wasn’t diagnosed until long into adulthood
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u/ErinsUnmentionables 10d ago
I wish people would stop trying to turn psychiatric illnesses/disorders into trendy quirks.
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u/BoltersnRivets 16d ago
Speaking as someone officially diagnosed with Autism and ADHD as a child, let's not pretend psychology is amazing and super accurate, professionals often underdiagnos because the people who trained them have biases and they carry those biases into their career. Then when their biases do not meet with reality they give alternative diagnosises that have many of the same symptoms but non of the support if they don't make the situation a hundred times more dififcult for that person, that woman doesn't have ADHD she has Borderline Personality Disorder so going forward medical prefesionals think she's just a moody bitch, that black person doesn't have ADHD they have Oppositional Defiance Disorder so healthcare professionals think that if that person isn't happy with being dismissed out of hand it's clearly ODD and they need the police asap to subdue them before they assault someone.
you wanna know the biggest reason Autism is underdiagnosed in kids? the symptoms seen as problematic and a sign of troubled development in young boys like me, being quiet and not going out of their way to socialise, are seen as preferable qualities for a girl to prossess.
the uptick in diagnosis is from demographics not typically diagnosed finally starting to be taken seriously, it's not a fucking trend and it never has been, and the increase in discussion online is from many people who were officially diagnosed sharing their experiences without it being framed through entrenched racist and sexist bias and other people going "wait, that's a lot like me, but no one's ever taken me seriously", so of fucking course the professionals in the industry who work according to their bias would try to discredit people actually talking about their experiences "don't listen to these diagnosed people, since they've been diagnosed they've proven they aren't a trustworthy source, listen to us sensible normal adults, now stop bothering me unless you have £500,000 you're willing to part with"
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u/IveFailedMyself 16d ago edited 16d ago
Wow, I don't know what to say to nearly one-hundred percent of what you said because it's just so loaded and incredibly hostile. I was just crossposting something that I thought fit this sub. If you have a problem with that, then go ahead, but take it down a notch. And I'm honestly not even sure if you read the article.
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u/snafuminder 16d ago
It's the go-to popular excuse for everything these days with the undiagnosed.