Experts are raising concerns about a growing trend on social media platforms like TikTok, dubbed 'symptom borrowing,' which they believe may be contributing to an increase in diagnoses of conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Josef Newton, a tech executive who has personal experience with mental health conditions including OCD and ADHD, described 'symptom borrowing' as the act of noticing, reinterpreting, or anticipating sensations and behaviors observed in others online. He stated that attention, expectation, and anxiety can amplify everyday physical feelings or behaviors that might otherwise go unnoticed. Algorithms on platforms like TikTok, he explained, prioritize content related to a user's past interests. This can lead to a cycle where viewing one video about a condition prompts the platform to show numerous similar videos, potentially fueling anxiety and causing users to search for symptoms that may not be present.
This phenomenon comes months after researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) issued a similar warning. A UEA study examining over 5,000 social media posts found that misinformation about ADHD and autism was particularly prevalent on TikTok. The researchers noted that inaccurate social media content could encourage some young people to believe they have these conditions.
According to the NHS, ADHD diagnoses have increased significantly since the turn of the century, with around 2.5 million Britons currently having the condition. Dr. Eleanor Chatburn of UEA's Norwich Medical School commented that while social media can be a starting point for young people seeking to understand their symptoms, it is crucial that these questions lead to professional clinical assessments. Misinformation, she cautioned, can lead to a misunderstanding of serious conditions, pathologizing ordinary behavior, and potentially delaying diagnosis for those who genuinely need help.
Newton advised caution regarding social media content that presents common experiences like procrastination, shyness, or fatigue after socializing as signs of underlying health conditions. He also noted that noticing a behavior for the first time only after seeing a video about it can be a warning sign. He used the example of being asked to notice one's tongue in their mouth, which can make a previously unnoticed sensation difficult to ignore, similar to how health videos can make users focus on specific sensations.
He emphasized that while this doesn't invalidate a symptom's significance, individuals should question whether they noticed the symptom before or if it has caused problems. Newton also pointed out that if the same symptom seems to indicate different conditions on different days—such as tiredness being attributed to ADHD one day and burnout the next—it warrants critical evaluation. While it is normal to check symptoms after watching an informative video, repeated monitoring can maintain fear rather than provide answers. He recommends that if consuming health content leads to increased fear or confusion, users should set boundaries, record their concerns, and consult a professional or reputable medical source.
Newton stressed that individuals experiencing symptoms after viewing health content online are not necessarily fabricating them. The symptoms can feel genuine, and increased awareness might lead people to focus on sensations they would have previously overlooked. A TikTok spokesperson, in response to the UEA study, stated that the platform removes harmful health misinformation and provides access to reliable information from the WHO. They approached for further comment regarding the recent warnings.
Previous research has also linked TikTok to misleading ADHD content. A 2022 study published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry analyzed 100 TikTok videos discussing ADHD and found that over half were misleading, with only about one-fifth being useful. This study, led by researchers from the University of British Columbia, also indicated that most misleading videos were posted by non-healthcare professionals. The concern is that a combination of such content and 'symptom borrowing' could be contributing to the rise in diagnoses across various conditions, particularly when content creators are not medical professionals and rely on anecdotal evidence.