ArticleJMIR infodemiology2024
Exploring How Youth Use TikTok for Mental Health Information in British Columbia: Semistructured Interview Study With Youth.
Article in JMIR infodemiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Exploring Problematic TikTok Use and Mental Health Issues: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies.Journal of primary care & community healthPooled it
- Sunscreen is overwhelmingly promoted on TikTok, but content with misinformation exhibits proportionally high levels of audience interaction.PLOS digital health · 2026Article
- "And just like that, quiet": a content analysis of TikTok videos on food noise.Nutrition & diabetes · 2026Article
- Unfiltered Access, Unseen Harms: A Developmental and Public Health Critique of Digital Rights Discourse.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Review
- Digital Ecosystems, Children, and Adolescents: Technical Report.Pediatrics · 2026Review
- Quality and Perception of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Content on TikTok: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR infodemiology · 2025Article
- Podcasts in Mental, Physical, or Combined Health Interventions for Adults: Scoping Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Conceptualization of health literacy from the perspective of children and adolescents - a meta-ethnography.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The Public Health Perils of Search Engine Marketing: Insights for Research and Regulation.International journal of health policy and management · 2025Article
- Socioeconomic stratification in adolescent digital engagement: cultural capital, emotional mediation, and bilibili usage patterns in Chinese high schools.Frontiers in sociology · 2025Article
- Descriptive analysis of TikTok content on vaccination in Arabic.AIMS public health · 2025Article
- Could be better: adolescent access to health information and care.European journal of pediatrics · 2024Review
- Health Benefits of Social Media Use in Adolescents and Young Adults.Current pediatrics reports · 2024Review
- Do you have depression? A summative content analysis of mental health-related content on TikTok.Digital healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundTikTok (ByteDance) experienced a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for people to interact with others, share experiences and thoughts related to the pandemic, and cope with ongoing mental health challenges. However, few studies have explored how youth use TikTok to learn about mental health.
objectiveThis study aims to understand how youth used TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic to learn about mental health and mental health support.
methodsSemistructured interviews were conducted with 21 youths (aged 12-24 years) living in British Columbia, Canada, who had accessed TikTok for mental health information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using an inductive, data-driven approach.
resultsA total of 3 overarching themes were identified describing youth's experiences. The first theme centered on how TikTok gave youth easy access to mental health information and support, which was particularly helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic to curb the effects of social isolation and the additional challenges of accessing mental health services. The second theme described how the platform provided youth with connection, as it gave youth a safe space to talk about mental health and allowed them to feel seen by others going through similar experiences. This helped normalize and destigmatize conversations about mental health and brought awareness to various mental health conditions. Finally, the last theme focused on how this information led to action, such as trying different coping strategies, discussing mental health with peers and family, accessing mental health services, and advocating for themselves during medical appointments. Across the 3 themes, youth expressed having to be mindful of bias and misinformation, highlighting the barriers to identifying and reporting misinformation and providing individualized advice on the platform.
conclusionsFindings suggest that TikTok can be a useful tool to increase mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage youth to learn and address their mental health challenges while providing a source of peer connection and support. Simultaneously, TikTok can adversely impact mental health through repetitive exposure to mentally distressing content and misleading diagnosis and treatment information. Regulations against harmful content are needed to mitigate these risks and make TikTok safer for youth. Efforts should also be made to increase media and health literacy among youth so that they can better assess the information they consume online.
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