Many social media outlets, including TikTok, have enabled mental health professionals, activists, and advocates around the world to create helpful content — from reels about what it’s really like to live with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) using the #ocdawareness hashtag, to anxiety coping tips, to often-missed signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in girls and women — that could potentially reach, and help, millions of viewers. This was especially true for mental health content during COVID-19-related lockdowns and social distancing. The number of posts that mentioned “mental health” grew by 80.53 percent across all social media channels in 2020, according to a report from Captiv8, an influencer marketing platform. But remember, not all content on social media is accurate — and mental health content is no exception. “On social media, some content creators are not transparent about their credentials, so their content may seem like a reliable source of information even though it isn’t,” says Allison Young, MD, an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City and a psychiatry medical reviewer for Everyday Health. “Getting information on social media also puts us at risk of ‘confirmation bias,’ which means we gravitate toward information we agree with rather than information that is true,” Dr. Young explains. That means we may just follow social media accounts that tell us what we want to hear or already agree with, rather than what is evidence-based, she says. Consuming inaccurate mental health information on social media can pose significant risks, including:
Relying on social media instead of getting the professional help you need, or delaying seeking help, for mental distressWasting valuable time reading or watching content with inaccurate informationSpending money on products being promoted by influencers that haven’t been sufficiently studied or proven to work
So how do you separate the useful information from the unreliable? RELATED: Are the Virtual Interactions of Social Media Busting or Boosting Your Stress?
First, How to Know if Mental Health Info on Social Media Is Legit
Here are seven steps Young suggests taking to vet your social media sources and make sure you’re using these digital tools wisely (and not in a way that could be detrimental to your mental health): But in some cases, seeking mental health help from social media may do more harm than good. “If you are so distressed that it is affecting daily functioning, or if you are having even passive thoughts of self-harm, these are definitely signs you should seek professional help instead,” Young says. If you need mental health help, Young recommends seeing your primary care doctor or a mental health professional. Your health insurance company may also be able to connect you with mental health support, she adds. RELATED: Best Online Therapy Programs of 2021
8 TikTok Influencers to Follow for Mental Health Inspo
Wondering where to find reliable mental health information and inspiration? Check out these eight influencers on TikTok — vetted by Young and the Everyday Health editors — who post helpful tips, education, and inspiration for people coping with depression, anxiety, trauma, and the stresses of everyday life.
1. Dr. Julie Smith Shares Mental Health Education Everyone Needs to See
Julie Smith, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology and owns a private practice in Hampshire, England, posts introductory, educational mental health content on TikTok — covering topics such as early signs of burnout. Smith’s mission is to help as many people as she possibly can to thrive. Some of her videos include “Tips From Therapy” and “Things People Learn in Therapy.” She also has a post on “How to Master Your Own Mind,” which is all about using mindfulness to your advantage. These tools can help you become more aware of your emotions and actions and cope with stress. But keep Young’s advice in mind: Posts like these are for educational purposes only and are not a replacement for formal therapy or mental health care if you need it. Follow @drjuliesmith RELATED: 69 Top Self-Care Tips for Taking Care of You During the Coronavirus Pandemic
2. Nadia Addesi Can Relate to Your Anxiety Issues
Just like her millions of followers, Nadia Addesi, a registered social worker based in Ontario, Canada, turned to TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic as a source of entertainment and distraction. She says it was Julie Smith’s mental health content that inspired her the most. “Being a social worker and psychotherapist in the same field, I realized that so many people needed this information more than ever,” Addesi says, adding that she received many messages from family and friends asking for coping strategies and tips to help with anxiety and depression during the pandemic. “That’s when I decided to follow Dr. Smith’s lead and started posting content as a way to reach more people, especially those who did not have access to and resources for therapy and mental health support,” Addesi explains. She posts about the impact of stress on relaxation, setting boundaries, and signs of anxiety. Addesi says she sometimes struggled with self-doubt when starting out on TikTok. “Social media can be a scary place, especially as someone with anxiety. And I’m sure many professionals in this field can relate to imposter syndrome, which was something, and is something, I feel very often,” she says. At the end of the day, Addesi says she always reminds herself of the importance of providing helpful and accessible mental health content. “When I receive messages from people telling me that my videos helped them or gave them the courage to get the support or diagnosis they needed, it always reminds me that I am doing the right thing and exactly where I should be,” she says. Follow @nadiaaddesi RELATED: 7 Causes of Anxiety
3. Dr. Melissa Shepard Makes Sense of Youth Depression
“When I started dealing with my own mental health struggles as a kid, I had no idea what was happening. I felt alone and scared for such a long time,” says Melissa Shepard, MD, a psychiatrist in private practice in Charlotte, North Carolina, who works with clients in Maryland and North Carolina. This is why Shepard started posting mental health content on social media in the first place: “I think it would have made such a huge difference to me to see someone talk about similar struggles or even just present the information in a way that was accessible to me,” she says. She posts videos about recognizing the signs of depression so you can seek early treatment, derealization, and parental misconceptions about childhood depression symptoms (and what they mean). “I want my followers to walk away with more understanding, more compassion for themselves and others, and more hope,” says Shepard. “There is still so much stigma and inaccurate information floating around, and although social media is to blame for a lot of that, I think social media can also be a great way to fight it!” Follow @doctorshepard_md RELATED: 6 Ways You Can Help a Loved One With Depression
4. Dr. Justin Puder Is a Modern Therapist on a Mission to Bust Mental Health Stigma
Justin Puder, PhD — or “Dr. J” for short — is a therapist and licensed psychologist in private practice in Boca Raton, Florida. He’s known on TikTok and other social media platforms as @amoderntherapist for a reason: His content is geared toward anyone living a modern (and overly caffeinated!) lifestyle in need of some tips for tamping down anxiety, just-for-laughs humor, and help addressing emotional wounds and connecting in relationships. Puder is also an advocate of the mental health benefits of yoga and meditation, and has experience helping teens, young adults, and older adults overcome mental health issues in different settings, including university counseling centers. Puder says his primary mission is to reduce stigma around mental health by talking openly about the things we all go through. “In that light, I see myself as a fellow traveler on this journey of life,” said Puder on his website. “One who has experienced joy, pain, grief, loss, made mistakes, changed paths, endured, achieved, and created a meaningful life.” His Tik Tok features reels about misconceptions about bipolar disorder, explaining mental health issues to parents, and suppressed trauma. Follow @amoderntherapist RELATED: Stress Less During COVID-19: 4 Virtual Meditation Options You Can Try at Home
5. Shani T. is a ‘Dope AF’ Therapist Creating a Safe Space for Youth to Own It
Shani Tran, a licensed professional counselor and self-proclaimed “dope AF” therapist based in Minneapolis, encourages you to hit “follow” on her page if you are a person of color, a teen, in need of a laugh, or are misunderstood. “My first job is being a therapist, but because I don’t subscribe to societal norms of niches I am also a TikToker, speaker, and writer. With a touch of humor, and the right tone, mental health can be destigmatized,” she notes on her website. Tran’s TikTok reels feature her dancing as she drops info across the screen on topics like signs of depression in children under age 10, emotional eating, and how to avoid billing mistakes when making insurance claims. She also posts videos about her behind-the-scenes thoughts as a practicing therapist for teens (and how much she loves hyping up her teen clients!). Tran isn’t your therapist, though, and you shouldn’t forget it, either. In her website disclaimer, she says she’s here to give you fun content that is for educational purposes only. Follow @theshaniproject RELATED: Your Social Media Habit May Be Harming Your Self-Image — Here’s How to Change That
6. Lindsay Fleming Shows You How to Baby-Step Your Way Toward Better Mental Health
Lindsay Fleming is a licensed professional counselor based in Northshore, Illinois, who has struggled with anxiety, ADHD, and dyslexia. She creates content from a professional standpoint, but also from personal experience as a first-generation college graduate and woman with ADHD, whose condition went undiagnosed until she was in graduate school. Fleming is also a cofounder of a nonprofit called the Baby Spirit Foundation, which helps support families going through pregnancy and infant loss. Once reluctant to post on TikTok, Fleming says on her About page that she ultimately embraced it as a way to support mental health among young girls during the COVID-19 pandemic — and her TikTok following quickly grew to more than 500,000. Now, she covers topics like hangover anxiety, why teens self-harm, and emotional manipulation in romantic relationships. Her motto is “baby-stepping” your way toward a better understanding of mental health, and she practices what she preaches. “My goal is simply to use my privilege and platform to provide and advocate for mental health education, understanding, and access to treatment,” she states on her website. “To be transparent I have also been practicing what I preach and have focused on stepping away from ‘hustle’ culture and people pleasing to live a more balanced lifestyle.” Follow @lindsay.fleminglpc RELATED: COVID-19: Protecting Our Mental Health While We Ride Out the Pandemic
7. Chloé Hayden Is the ‘Kinda Weird Older Sister’ We All Need in Our Lives
Chloé Hayden is an artist who lives with autism and ADHD and uses her platform to educate and empower others in the mental health community: “I want people to see me as their kinda weird older sister who still cries too much over boy bands and will absolutely have your back through anything this world (and your mind) can throw at you,” she says. She engages her followers with stimulating, fast-paced, colorful content geared toward captivating even the most distracted or preoccupied of minds. As for why Hayden posts mental health content on TikTok? “I’m doing it for younger me. I’m doing it for current me and future me,” she says. “I’m doing it for the young people who shouldn’t have to grow up without a voice telling them that they’re okay, that rainbows will always follow the storm. Until then, here’s how we survive the storm.” As an advocate (not a trained medical professional), Hayden says she encourages anyone who needs help to seek it out. “You don’t have to be sick to speak to someone,” Hayden says. “You don’t need to be at a bad point in your life to go to therapy. You don’t have to be struggling to improve.” She adds, “Therapy is important. Caring for your mind is important. You are important.” Follow @chloeshayden RELATED: What Is Self-Care and Why Is It So Important for Your Health?
8. Micheline Maalouf Tackles Trauma
“Many people don’t truly understand what they are going through or what they are experiencing. Talking about it helps shed some light on these issues, helps normalize the struggle, and teaches people how and where to reach out for help,” said licensed mental health counselor Micheline Maalouf, in an interview published in October 2020 in Vogue Singapore. “The things we don’t talk about become taboo, the things we talk about often become the norm.” On TikTok, Maalouf posts videos explaining what trauma is and why it causes physical and mental health symptoms like fawn response. “Did you know that trauma isn’t just huge things and it’s actually your nervous system that determines if it was traumatic or not? #therapy #trauma,” she wrote in the caption of another reel about trauma. She also explains in another video that trauma can come from various childhood events, including being bullied at home or school, constantly moving, or having emotionally unavailable parents. Maalouf offers trauma therapy through her Orlando, Florida–based counseling clinic, Serein Counseling. She also offers advice through the podcast “ Anxious Like You,” where she and her team pull from personal and professional experiences with anxiety. In addition to following Maalouf on TikTok, you can text her directly — yes, really! People living in the United States or Canada can text “AVOCADO” to 407-214-5309 to reach her directly. She’ll send daily mental health messages and will even send you a “Happy Birthday” message! Follow @micheline.maalouf RELATED: Women and PTSD: The Public Health Problem Nobody Talks About
