Scroll, Like, Believe? Navigating the Quality and Credibility of Mental Health Information on Social Media

Carter, Alice (2025) Scroll, Like, Believe? Navigating the Quality and Credibility of Mental Health Information on Social Media. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

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Abstract

Background: While social media is increasingly being used for health information seeking purposes, the quality of mental health and neurodiversity information on social media remains unclear. ADHD content has been found to contain misinformation on TikTok, a social media platform used by predominantly young people. Despite this, young people’s perceptions on the credibility of ADHD information on TikTok has not yet been explored.

Aim: This thesis portfolio aimed to synthesise previous literature which evaluated the quality and accuracy of metal health and neurodiversity information on social media. This research also aimed to understand how credible young people perceive ADHD information on TikTok and factors which influence this.

Design: This thesis portfolio consists of a systematic review of the accuracy, quality and reliability of social media content which focuses on mental health and neurodiverse conditions. The second paper is an empirical study exploring young people’s credibility perceptions of ADHD content on TikTok.

Results: The systematic review highlighted incidences of high misinformation prevalence and low quality and reliability of mental health information on social media, with findings varying depending on social media platform and topic. The empirical study generated four themes: influences on credibility perceptions; navigating misinformation on TikTok; interpretation and impact; promoting responsible and informed engagement on TikTok.

Conclusions: This portfolio sheds light on the concerning quality of mental health information on social media and highlights the complexities and nuances in establishing the credibility of information on TikTok. Implications for public mental health and research are discussed.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
Depositing User:	Chris White
Date Deposited:	21 Oct 2025 10:32
Last Modified:	21 Oct 2025 10:32
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/100731
DOI:

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