Misinformation mayhem: the effects of TikTok content on ADHD knowledge, stigma, and treatment-seeking intentions
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.TikTok ADHD misinformation reduces knowledge but boosts confidence and treatment-seeking intentions among college students. Accurate information improved knowledge and confidence, highlighting the impact of social media on Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder understanding.
Area Of Science
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Digital Media Studies
Background
- TikTok is a popular platform for college students seeking health information.
- Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) content is widespread on TikTok, but often contains misinformation.
- The impact of this misinformation on user knowledge, stigma, and treatment intentions is not well understood.
Purpose Of The Study
- To experimentally investigate the effects of TikTok ADHD misinformation on college students' ADHD knowledge, stigma, and treatment-seeking intentions.
- To compare the effects of accurate ADHD information versus misinformation versus a control condition.
- To explore the role of perceived entertainment in shaping user responses.
Main Methods
- An experimental design with 490 treatment-naïve college students randomly assigned to view accurate ADHD content, ADHD misinformation, or control content on TikTok.
- Pre- and post-viewing assessments of ADHD knowledge, stigma, and treatment-seeking intentions.
- Systematic content analysis used in a pilot phase to develop stimuli.
Main Results
- Exposure to ADHD misinformation significantly decreased accurate ADHD knowledge but increased confidence in that knowledge.
- Accurate ADHD content increased both knowledge and confidence.
- The misinformation group showed higher intentions to seek both evidence-based and non-evidence-based treatments.
- No significant effects on ADHD stigma were observed.
- Content entertainment was linked to knowledge and treatment-seeking intentions.
Conclusions
- TikTok ADHD misinformation can undermine accurate knowledge while increasing false confidence and treatment-seeking intentions.
- Accurate information on TikTok can enhance ADHD knowledge and confidence.
- Findings underscore the potential public health risks of social media misinformation regarding ADHD.
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