Many of Us are Turning to Social Media for Mental Health Advice

A 2025 survey of 2,565 Australians by Growth Distillery and Medibank, found that nearly 2 in 3 respondents use platforms like Instagram and TikTok as their main source of mental health and wellbeing information.50% of the most viewed mental health videos on TikTok were shown to be misleading.A recent investigation by The Guardian analysed the 100 most viewed videos on TikTok tagged #mentalhealthtips.A panel of qualified mental health experts found that 52 out of them contained misleading or harmful advice.Therapy-speak has gone viral.Terms like:👉 Trauma👉 Gaslighting👉 Narcissist👉 Attachment style👉 Triggered👉 Dissociationare everywhere now...But they’re often taken out of context or wrongly defined.We’re self-diagnosing.“If you do this one thing, you probably have ADHD.”“If they make you question yourself, it’s gaslighting.”“Don’t like conflict? That’s a trauma response.”“They don’t take accountability? Narcissist.”Comments like this encourage people to take on clinical labels without consulting a professional.Why are more people self-diagnosing online?Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are:✔️ Fast✔️ Free✔️ Relatable✔️ Always availableWhen professional support feels out of reach, self-diagnosis seemingly offers a short-cut to an explanation, identity and a sense of control.We're just trying to understand ourselves. But without proper guidance, it’s easy to:❌ Mislabel ❌ Mistake discomfort for disorder❌ Miss the real issue❌ Build your identity around a false diagnosisSocial media isn’t therapy.It can help:– Raise awareness– Spark important conversations– Show you're not alone– Plant a seed- Open your mind to possibilities.But it can't give you everything you need.What can you do?Be mindful who you choose to followDon’t assume what people say is accurateCross-check your sourcesTalk to your GP, seek out an accredited therapist, contact a credible mental health service