Resources: Which to Avoid

Resources to Avoid

Over the past decade, social media content creators have latched on to mental health as another popular topic to increase viewership. However, many of these content creators fail to realize the seriousness of what they are talking about, and that misinformation about mental health is just as dangerous as misinformation regarding physical health. It is indeed true that psychology is a relatively new field of western science and so it is rapidly evolving, but that does not mean social media should take it any less seriously.

As a consumer of media, it is important to stay critical of content - do your research before assuming online sources are accurate. Of course, like advice from a friend, you might consider a source, but do not assume it is a source of the highest quality information like that you receive from a registered mental health practitioner.

What to Look Out For

⚠Note: the Commonplace Book of Mental Health is an example of a source to be critical of! This website is NOT produced by a registered mental health professional! Our content is not a replacement for therapy nor is it a substitute for advice from a medical health care practitioner.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What does this source gain from their material? Are they profiting off of it? How does that factor into the quality of the material?
• Is this source affiliated with a reputable institution or service provider, such as national health services? What are their credentials? Do they have any authority to be educating about this topic?
• How much of this source's material sensationalizes mental health?
• Is this source enabling or validating unhealthy coping mechanisms? (malingering, blaming, labelling, etc.)
• Does this source actually help or would it be more helpful to see a registered mental health professional about this topic?

Examples of sensationalist sources:

Note that a lot of these sources are taking advantage of your curiosity, planting questions in your mind, like "do I have autism?" or "what is an HSP? Am I an HSP?" A registered mental health professional is best suited to consider these questions, not random content creators online!

One example of a popular mental health content creator to avoid is Psych2Go. Psych2Go has been criticized by multiple registered mental health professionals for misinformation, but they are still producing content and are often one of the first search results for mental health topics.

Why be critical?

It has become increasingly common for the average person to carelessly throw around clinical terminology like "ADHD," or "OCD," without considering that these are terms used within clinical diagnosis for treatment of actual mental health conditions. In reality, even if you see a psychiatrist who is certified to diagnose you with a condition such as OCD, diagnosis is a regulated process that is aimed at narrowing down treatment options, rather than focusing on labeling you.

What's more, mental health professionals will discourage you from strongly identifying with anything you have been diagnosed with. The general goal of mental health professionals is to help you improve your mental wellness, not keep you stuck with a diagnostic label.

A great way to think of it is similar to physical health: many people struggle with it, diagnosis hopefully comes with treatment and resolution, and at the end of the day, your doctor is the best authority on maintaining good health.

Social media content creators often contribute to the use of mental health terminology as trendy labels to increase viewership based on perceived relatability. Unfortunately, social media websites such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube provide little to no regulation to prevent misinformation about mental health.

For these reasons, it is important to be critical of where you are getting your information on mental health. At the end of the day, it is best to leave it to the professionals - see a mental health care provider for accurate mental health advice and treatment.