ADHD and TikTok: Harmful or helpful? Symptoms, NHS guidance and how to spot 'misleading' content

• TikTok is becoming a popular place for people to ask questions about ADHD.
• There are already over 3 million posts on TikTok about the topic.
• There have been concerns that some content may include misinformation.
• But other professionals have praised creators for raising awareness of the condition.

ADHD is a popular topic on TikTok with 3.4 million posts dedicated to it on the social media platform so far.

People in the UK who suspect they may have ADHD face long waiting lists to access a diagnosis, with ADHD UK’s waiting list report revealing regional disparities in accessing care.

Long waiting lists are leading people to seek information about ADHD elsewhere, with many turning to social media, including TikTok.

There have been concerns that some of the information being shared about ADHD may not be accurate, with a study in 2022 finding that approximately half of the videos it reviewed on TikTok about ADHD were “misleading”.

However, some medical professionals have praised conversations on TikTok as “incredibly positive”, helping to raise awareness of the condition and increase diagnoses.

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people's behaviour. According to the NHS people may become restless, have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.

Symptoms are often noticed when a child is at an early age, such as when they begin school, with most cases diagnosed in children under the age of 12, however, it can be diagnosed later on life and in adults whose ADHD was not recognised during childhood.

Is ADHD content on TikTok harmful or helpful?

A study in 2022, published in the The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, looked at the “top 100 videos” about TikTok on ADHD, classing them as “misleading, useful, or personal experience”, finding that 52% fell into the misleading category.

But 21% of the videos it reviewed were categorised as ‘useful’, while 27% of the videos were ‘personal experience’.

Some medical professionals have praised conversations on TikTok as helping to raise awareness of the condition - particularly in women - and a spokesperson for the platform said it is proud that TikTok has become a place where people can share their personal experiences of neurodiversity.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Dr Catherine Durkin, joint lead for women and mental health at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said more people talking about the issue “helps to signpost lots of patients”.

What are the signs and symptoms of ADHD?

There are three types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, or a combination of both according to BBC Futures. Each will have their own types of symptoms, people with inattention may forget things, struggle to get organised and find themselves easily distracted, whilst those with hyperactivity and impulsivity may struggle to stay still, fidget and interrupt conversations.

The NHS outline the main signs of inattentiveness as:

• having a short attention span and being easily distracted
• making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork
• appearing forgetful or losing things
• being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming
• appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions
• constantly changing activity or task
• having difficulty organising tasks

The NHS outline the main signs of hyperactivity and impulsiveness as:

• being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings
• constantly fidgeting
• being unable to concentrate on tasks
• excessive physical movement
• excessive talking
• being unable to wait their turn
• acting without thinking
• interrupting conversations
• little or no sense of danger

Some NHS specialists have suggested the following as a list of symptoms associated with ADHD in adults:

• carelessness and lack of attention to detail
• continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones
• poor organisational skills
• inability to focus or prioritise
• continually losing or misplacing things
• forgetfulness
• restlessness and edginess
• difficulty keeping quiet, and speaking out of turn
• blurting out responses and often interrupting others
• mood swings, irritability and a quick temper
• inability to deal with stress
• extreme impatience
• taking risks in activities, often with little or no regard for personal safety or the safety of others – for example, driving dangerously

How to distinguish ‘misleading’ content

The 2022 study found that examples of misleading videos included a video stating that individuals with ADHD lack “object permanence,” and a video stating that “anxiety shivers, random noise making” and “being competitive” are symptoms of ADHD.

Helpful content included a video “explaining that individuals with ADHD may need extra time to find missing items, have anxiety about future tasks, and suggests that proper treatment can improve quality of life,” and a “video describing ADHD signs and symptoms such as needing others to repeat information, forgetfulness, or struggling to complete tasks.”

Unsurprisingly, healthcare providers and medical professionals uploaded higher quality and more useful videos, compared to non-healthcare providers.

Anyone looking for advice or diagnosis on neurological conditions should always contact a medical professional.

What action does TikTok take against misinformation?

According to its community guidelines, TikTok does not allow “misinformation that may cause significant harm to individuals or society, regardless of intent.”

This includes inaccurate medical advice that discourages people from getting appropriate medical care for a life-threatening disease, and other misinformation that poses a risk to public health.

A TikTok spokesperson said that more than 40,000 people work alongside technology to help flag and remove content that violates its guidelines.

How can you access an ADHD diagnosis?

If you suspect that your child or you may have ADHD you can visit your GP to ask them to refer you to a specialist for an ADHD assessment. According to the NHS, this may be carried out by a specialist child or adult psychiatrist, a paediatrician – a specialist in children's health or an appropriately qualified healthcare professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of ADHD.

There is no simple test to find out if you have ADHD, but after a detailed assessment a specialist will be able to make an accurate diagnosis.

However, in the UK how long you will wait for an ADHD assessment will depend on where you are located. ADHD UK have revealed that for children, this can vary from five weeks to five years, whilst for adults, the waiting list disparity continues, from 12 weeks to 550 weeks.

You can learn more about the signs and symptoms of ADHD and how to access help and support on NHS.UK.