I N D U S T R Y I N V E S T I G A T I O N
• Sources matter: 82 % trust online information from credentialed health care providers the most, compared to 64 % for mental health influencers and 53 % for information shared by other social media users.
Self-diagnosis from social media is common. However, many respondents who self-diagnose do not consistently seek professional guidance from a clinician.
• Nearly one-third( 29 %) of respondents have self-diagnosed mental health conditions based on online information. Gen Z( 50 %) and millennial( 38 %) respondents lead in self-diagnosis.
• Less than half( 47 %) of respondents who self-diagnose often or always discuss their symptoms with a clinician, and almost a quarter( 24 %) rarely or never do.
• More than one-quarter( 27 %) of respondents reported experiencing unnecessary stress or anxiety from attempted self-diagnosis.
As the casual use of clinical mental health terminology, or‘ therapy speak,’ becomes more common in everyday conversations, people are analysing their relationships through the lens of the language they’ ve seen online.
• Forty percent of respondents report seeing terms like‘ trauma,’‘ narcissist’ and‘ toxic’ on social media daily or multiple times a week.
• Nearly one-in-three( 32 %) respondents say social media content has made them question their relationships – leading people to believe that a partner or loved one is‘ toxic’( 52 %),‘ gaslighting’ them( 45 %) or‘ love bombing’ them( 28 %).
• Thirty percent of female respondents report using‘ therapy speak’ regularly in online and in-person conversations, compared to 25 % of male respondents. Gen Z( 50 %) respondents reported the highest usage amongst all generations.
Amid increasing anxiety and stress fuelled by social media, most respondents wish to disconnect, with a significant number expressing interest in a digital detox.
• Forty-four percent of respondents believe social media has done more to increase negative perceptions and stereotypes about mental health than to reduce them.
• Examining the negative impacts felt by social media, 37 % reported feeling anxiety about politics, 27 % feel overloaded by the news cycle and 22 % said social media supports poor sleep habits.
• More than three-quarters( 76 %) of respondents find the idea of a digital detox appealing, with Gen Z( 84 %) and millennial( 83 %) respondents most interested compared to respondents from other generations.
• Over one-quarter( 26 %) of respondents believe a permanent TikTok ban would positively impact their mental health.
To explore the survey results, visit LifeStance’ s website. �
www. intelligenthealth. tech 43