"It Actually Affected My Relationship": A Qualitative Analysis of Affordances and Attitudes Towards Mental Health Content on TikTok

This paper investigates the factors and platform-specific affordances that contribute to the popularity of mental health (MH) content on TikTok, a topic of growing importance within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) due to its impact on public MH literacy and individual well-being. Diverging from studies that focus predominantly on the "For You Page" algorithm, this research employs qualitative methods to explore a broader array of features that facilitate the platform’s success in MH discussions. Through semi-structured interviews with fourteen TikTok users, including viewers and creators, this study examines how TikTok’s community, algorithmic recommendations, interactive features, and engaging environment support the sharing and consumption of MH content. Additionally, it explores user perceptions and attitudes towards TikTok as an MH platform, revealing various opinions, impacts, and experiences. Our findings highlight how TikTok fosters a unique space for MH discussions and provide design considerations for optimizing such platforms for MH communication.