The Impact of Social Media as a Contributing Factor to Self-Diagnosis of Mental Disorders
A qualitative descriptive study of Indonesian adolescents
Keywords:
Social media, self diagnosis, mental health, adolescents, psychological disordersnAbstract
This study aims to examine the influence of mental health content on social media on adolescents’ tendency to self-diagnose, as well to examine the resulting psychological and social impacts. The increasing use of social media among adolescents has triggered a new phenomenon: self-diagnosis, which is the act of diagnosing one’s own physical or mental health condition based on personal assumptions or information from the internet, such as social media, without consulting or seeking a professional diagnosis from a doctor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. This study used a qualitative descriptive approach with data collection techniques through reports, and relevant online news. The results show that mental health content on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter/X provides easy access to psychological information, but also encourages over-identification of symptoms of certain mental disorders without professional help, and even lead to the formation of negative identities in adolescents. This study aims to recommend the need for integrated mental health literacy in educational curricula and more responsible oversight of digital content.
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