Exploring Self-Diagnosis Tendencies and Implications for Professional Help-Seeking Among Youth on Instagram

Social media has evolved beyond entertainment, and serves as a platform for education and fosters discussions on mental health. It has facilitated the formation of supportive communities where individuals share personal experiences and enabled mental health professionals to disseminate accurate information and address audience concerns. However, the lack of regulation regarding content creators raises concerns about the spread of misinformation and exaggerated portrayals of mental illnesses. This can lead to incorrect self-diagnoses and perpetuate existing stigma in both online and offline spaces. The impact of social media on mental health perception and self-diagnosis remains ambiguous, warranting further exploration and research. This study aims to understand the perceptions of young adults regarding the information on Instagram, about mental disorders and their tendency to engage in self-diagnosis. The study also aims to understand the impact it has on seeking professional help upon self-diagnosis. Employing a quantitative approach, a self-constructed questionnaire consisting of 21 questions was administered offline to young adults aged between 18-25 who actively engage with mental health content on Instagram. The implications of the study are to promote awareness on the phenomenon of self diagnosis in Instagram and provide evidence that would help shape policies pertaining to the regulation of misinformation in the platform.