Less than half of the claims made about symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the most popular videos on TikTok align with clinical guidelines, a new study has found.
Two clinical psychologists with expertise in ADHD also found that the more ADHD-related TikTok content a young adult consumes, the more likely they are to overestimate both the prevalence and severity of symptoms in the general population.
People with ADHD are known to suffer inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity – and may struggle to concentrate on a given task, or suffer extreme fidgeting.
Prescriptions for drugs for ADHD have jumped 18% year-on-year in England since the pandemic, which underscores the need for accurate and reliable information, particularly on platforms popular with young people.
In this latest study, published in the journal Plos One, the two psychologists evaluated the accuracy, nuance, and overall quality in the top 100 #ADHD videos on TikTok.
They found the videos have immense popularity (collectively amassing nearly half a billion views), but fewer than 50 per cent of the claims made were robust.
Source: The Independent, 31 March 2025
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