Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA
Hamburg/Goettingen (ots)
People are also increasingly turning to the internet to learn about mental disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD). Videos on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are also playing an increasingly important role. From the point of view of experts, this is a double-edged trend, because e.g. B. Only every fifth video on TikTok withstood the content of a psychiatric examination. On the other hand, there are also positive sides. This reduces feelings of shame and inhibitions about talking about mental illnesses, and the videos make it possible to deal with illnesses about whose existence little is known.
“One should first critically examine the content of the videos about mental illnesses such as ADHD, especially in social media such as TikTok,” says associate professor Dr. Daniel Schöttle, chief physician at the center for mental health at the Asklepios Klinikum Harburg. “According to a study in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, only 21 percent of videos about ADHD contained technically correct information, a good half contained misleading information, and about a quarter merely described personal experience” (Anthony Yeung, 2022), says Dr . Schoettle on. At the same time, Dr. Schöttle, who is regarded as a specialist for ADHD, also gets good things out of the videos: the depiction can have a destigmatizing effect and give you the impetus to seek help if you see that the bad mood is not just “being in a bad mood”, but possibly occurs during a depressive episode.
Also Prof. Dr. Knut Schnell, Head of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the Asklepios Specialist Clinic in Göttingen, takes a differentiated look at the trend towards psychiatric videos:
“Individual symptoms can be recognized by anyone, but of course that is not enough for a diagnosis – and a wrong diagnosis can be very limiting for a person.” Although Prof. Schnell himself helps to develop digital applications in his field and promotes their use, he points out that the consumption of social media per se can be associated with a deterioration in mental health. Conversely, according to a recent study, reducing the use of services like Twitter and TikTok can lead to an improvement in well-being (Jeffrey Lambert, 2021). In addition, the provision of inappropriate information by the search algorithms can lead to unnecessary fears due to a large number of incorrect diagnostic suggestions. Occasionally, stimuli can also be set that, without therapeutic support, trigger an unnecessary special fear of mental illnesses, the “cyberchondria”.
Prof. Schnell sees the assumption of personal responsibility as possible positive effects of online information sources, that dealing openly with mental illnesses (as often occurs in the videos) can reduce stigmatization and can represent a healing resource for those affected by networking users. He sees the development of information platforms in cooperation between health experts and patients and their relatives as a particularly suitable option, which he has outlined in a recent publication with colleagues (HMD, 2022).
Both psychiatrists also point to a problem that hardly anyone watching the videos is likely to be aware of: influencers can also have an economic interest in their topic. Then, especially with mental health and the increased sensitivity and sometimes suggestibility of those affected, the limit to manipulation is very quickly crossed. Therefore, PD Dr. Schöttle and Prof. Schnell that videos can never replace professional diagnostics and that anyone who thinks they have a mental disorder should be examined.
bibliography
Anthony Yeung, M. F.-J. (2022). TikTok and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study of SocialmMedia Content Quality. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry/La Revue Canadienne de Psychiatrie Vol. 67(12) S. 899-906.
HMD. (2022). HMD practice of business informatics S. 59:1513-1526.
Jeffrey Lambert, G. B. ( http://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2021.0324. May 2021). a One-Week Break from Social Media Improves Well-Being, Depression, and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Cyberpsychology, . Behavior, and Social NetworkingS. 287-293.
Press contact:
Contact for queries:
https://www.asklepios.com/konzern/unternehmen/aktuell/pressekontakt/
Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA
Corporate Communications & Marketing division
Rübenkamp 226
22307 Hamburg
Tel.: (0 40) 18 18-82 66 36
E-Mail: [email protected]
The press office is on call 24 hours a day: (040) 1818-82 8888.
Visit Asklepios on the Internet, on Facebook or YouTube:
www.asklepios.com
gesundleben.asklepios.com
www.facebook.com/asklepioskliniken
www.youtube.com/asklepioskliniken
Registration for the Asklepios newsletter:
https://www.asklepios.com/konzern/newsletter-anmeldung/
Nursing Blog: “We are Nursing” (https://wir-sind-pflege.blog/)
Original content from: Asklepios Kliniken GmbH & Co. KGaA, transmitted by news aktuell