(PS12-79) Navigating Mental Health Content on Tiktok: Perceptions and Experiences of Young Users

Introduction: Adolescents and young adults increasingly utilize social media to seek out mental health-related information (Park & Kwon, 2018). These platforms are generally viewed as inclusive sources of knowledge that can be accessed instantly and anonymously (Lupton, 2021; MacKinnon et al., 2021). Moreover, social media affords young users the opportunity to share their personal experiences with mental health in a manner that cultivates community and promotes recovery (Andalibi et al., 2017; LaMarre, 2017). However, mental health literacy among young users remains a concern (Lupton, 2021), especially for those seeking resources regarding high-risk, potentially contagious behaviors such as suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; Fu et al., 2013; Marchant et al., 2021). Recent attention has been directed towards TikTok, one of the most widely used social media platforms among adolescents and young adults (Auxier & Anderson, 2021; Bestvater, 2024). Despite a growing body of literature dedicated to how young users interact with health-related content on TikTok, research exploring mental health content on the platform is scarce (Basch et al., 2022). As such, the present study aims to qualitatively examine TikTok's influence on young adults' mental health knowledge. 

Methods: Procedures involved an interview about TikTok use and mental health. Participants (N = 85) were ages 18-26 (Mage = 20.01, SDage= 1.76), and were predominantly cisgender female (n = 52, 86.67%), heterosexual (n = 36, 57.14%), and white (n = 35, 50.72%). The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS; Posner, 2007) was used to assess suicidal ideation (SI) in the past 6 months (n = 32, 40%). Responses were qualitatively analyzed by a team of three researchers using thematic analysis (TA; Braun & Clarke, 2006). Initial codes were generated using Atlas.ai software, from which categories were generated based on the phases of TA. Given that this study is ongoing, we anticipate responses from 180 participants, including 70 adolescents, prior to the study’s completion in May 2024.  

Results: Prominent themes that emerged included enhanced mental health awareness (n = 51, 68.00%), skepticism towards mental health content (n = 20, 26.67%), and increased utilization of mental health resources (n = 17, 22.67%). One participant stated, “It has increased my acceptance of my mental health struggles to see others deal with the same things.” Another expressed, “Things can be pathologized, over-diagnosed and over-labeled.” A chi-square test revealed no significant association between recent SI and response patterns, χ²(2, N = 117) = 1.058, p = 0.588, suggesting that SI did not influence participants’ alignment with the themes.  

Conclusion: The findings suggest that TikTok has a positive impact on enhancing mental health awareness among young users. However, there is a need to address mental health misinformation on the platform. Interestingly, individuals who disclosed recent SI reported similar experiences regarding TikTok's impact on their knowledge of mental health compared to those without recent SI. This finding suggests that young TikTok users may interact with mental-health related content similarly, irrespective of suicide risk.