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.

[u/mvea]

https://news.ubc.ca/2025/03/adhd-misinformation-on-tiktok/

[u/EbagI]

Im not sure i understand your question

[u/YondaimeHokage4 → u/EbagI]

I think they are asking if the study compared ratings made by people diagnosed with ADHD versus people not diagnosed with ADHD. I would be curious to see if there were significant differences in the ratings between these two groups. I think it would also be important to distinguish between people who are self diagnosed versus diagnosed by a qualified professional.

[u/peinika → u/YondaimeHokage4]

They did separate those groups. The article is pretty readable (and not paywalled) and the studies seem to be fairly thoughtful about the methodology. It's described in the results of study 2, but basically those with diagnosed and self-diagnosed ADHD watched more ADHD TikTok than the non-adhd group. Those with self-diagnosed ADHD rated the videos most favorably of the three groups, but the higher favorability was not statistically significant compared to the medically diagnosed group. I think the strongest correlation was those who watched more videos viewed them more favorably.

[u/Isotrope9 → u/YondaimeHokage4]

As well as individuals who have not yet been diagnosed, but suspect they have ADHD. I suspect this group may be more influenced by content that aligns with their perception of ADHD and personal experiences. Whereas, I suspect those with a formal ADHD diagnosis may have a better understanding of the diagnostic criteria.

[u/YondaimeHokage4 → u/Isotrope9]

Exactly what I’m thinking. I think people who are formally diagnosed would rate the credibility of these videos lower than both people who are self diagnosed and people with no ADHD. I wonder what the results would be if they separated people formally diagnosed and people self diagnosed, as well as separating people who are not diagnosed into groups that suspect they may have ADHD and people who don’t suspect they have ADHD.

[u/ThunderofHipHippos → u/Isotrope9]

I have a formal diagnosis, but I don't remember the criteria. And I could look it up, but my attention is already moving on.

(I'm not being sarcastic. I wonder if I'm a typical statical representation of an ADHD person's diagnostic knowledge.)

[u/big_guyforyou → u/YondaimeHokage4]

self-diagnosis is never a good idea. one time i diagnosed myself with leprosy because i forgot to take the pepperoni slices off me

[u/YondaimeHokage4 → u/big_guyforyou]

I think you have to be very careful with self diagnosing, but I dont think it’s always a bad idea. There are a ton of factors that would impact whether someone could accurately self diagnose.

[u/pure_bitter_grace → u/YondaimeHokage4]

The danger with self-dx is generally ignorance of differential diagnoses for common symptoms.

 I wouldn't want someone self-dxing themselves with ADHD if their problem might actually be anemia or thyroid issues or some other deficiency that also impairs executive function.

[u/GemmyGemGems → u/EbagI]

They're asking about people, just "normal" people, i.e., with no medical background, who do have ADHD and people who do not have ADHD.

I suppose the thinking behind that question is, do those "normal" people who do have a diagnosis see what's depicted in the videos as more/less accurate based on their own behaviours vs do people who don't have a diagnosis accept all the information as accurate?

[u/Fussel2107 → u/[deleted]]

They actually did not ask that.

They asked whether the study is discerning between people without ADHD and people who were formally diagnosed, to see whether their perceptions differ.

[u/CaramelThunder2 → u/[deleted]]

Dang that was a pretty aggressive response just to be wrong