MENTAL health misinformation is prevalent across social media, with evidence showing that over half of analysed posts may contain inaccurate or misleading information, according to a new systematic review.
As social media increasingly becomes a first point of contact for individuals seeking health advice, concerns have grown about the reliability of online information.
Mental health and neurodivergence content has surged in popularity, often driven by influencers rather than healthcare professionals.
Mental Health Misinformation Varies Across Platforms and Topics
The systematic review analysed 27 studies, covering 5,057 social media posts across platforms including TikTok and YouTube.
Researchers found that the prevalence of mental health misinformation ranged from 0% to 56.9%, highlighting substantial variability in content accuracy.
Notably, misinformation was more common on TikTok compared with YouTube.
Content relating to neurodivergence, such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also showed higher levels of misinformation than general mental health topics.
The study further reported that information quality and reliability varied widely overall, but posts created by healthcare professionals or reputable organisations tended to be more accurate and evidence-based.
In contrast, user-generated content without clinical input was more likely to contain misleading claims or oversimplified narratives.
Implications for Public Health and Online Regulation
Researchers emphasised that the rise in mental health misinformation presents a growing public health challenge. Inaccurate content may shape beliefs, influence self-diagnosis, and potentially delay appropriate care.
Methodologically, the review synthesised findings narratively due to significant heterogeneity in study designs and evaluation tools. The authors also highlighted a lack of consistent definitions and measures of misinformation across studies, which limited direct comparisons.
Despite these limitations, the findings point to an urgent need for action.
The authors recommended that mental health organisations and clinicians actively produce and share high-quality, evidence-based content to counter misinformation. They also called for stronger content moderation policies and clearer standards for evaluating health information online.
Ultimately, addressing mental health misinformation will require coordinated efforts across healthcare, technology platforms, and policy.
Improving the quality of digital health information is critical to safeguarding public understanding and supporting informed decision-making in an increasingly online world.
Reference
Carter A et al. Quality, reliability and misinformation in mental health and neurodivergence content on social media: a systematic review. JSOMER. 2026;DOI:10.29329/jsomer.84
Featured image: Lightly Stranded on Adobe Stock
