meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
This Is Why

ADHD: Why teenagers are using TikTok to self-diagnose

This Is Why

Sky News

News, Daily News, News Commentary

4.0552 Ratings

🗓️ 20 February 2023

⏱️ 26 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Teenagers and young adults are increasingly turning to TikTok and Instagram to self-diagnose autism and ADHD.

That's according to the British Psychological Society. It's thought that frustration with waiting times for children and adolescent mental health services is making teenagers turn to social media.

But psychologists are warning that it takes years of experience to determine different mental health conditions and labelling is not necessarily helpful.

On the Sky News Daily Liz Bates talks to Dr Tara Quinn-Cirillo, associate fellow of the British Psychological Society. Henry Shelford, founder of ADHD UK as well as ADHD influencer Priyanka Patel.

If you want to find out more information about ADHD both the NHS and the mental health charity MIND have a lot of advice. You can find more on these web pages. https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/adhd-and-mental-health/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/

Producers: Rosie Gillot, Emily Hulme and Emma Rae Woodhouse
Interviews producer: Alex Edden
Editor: Philly Beaumont

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Uber drivers. Have you seen your pay go down while your fees to Uber go up?

0:05.0

All because of an algorithm that reduces your take-home pay, making you work more for less.

0:10.0

We believe Uber's dynamic pay and upfront pricing is unfair.

0:14.0

That's why Worker Info Exchange has launched the dynamic pay claim to seek compensation for drivers who have lost income.

0:21.4

If you've driven for Uber at any time since 2020, it's time to stand together.

0:26.8

Find out more at dynamic pay.org.

0:30.0

Right then, who's all in for cancer research UK's race for life?

0:34.1

Anglers, ramblers, climbers, biversiders, surfers, gamers, bikers, hang gliders!

0:41.1

Bookclubbers! Let's go all in against cancer, all in to help fund life-saving research.

0:46.9

Join our London events throughout the summer. Sign up now from just £14.99.

0:52.7

Visit racefor-life.org.

0:55.0

Prices vary by event distance and participant age.

1:02.6

I'm Liz Bates, standing in for Neil Patterson, on the Sky News Daily.

1:08.3

And today we're talking about the life-altering but often deeply misunderstood

1:13.2

condition ADHD and asking why teenagers are increasingly turning to social media to self-diagnose

1:21.9

and seek help and support. Often it's TikTok where a growing number of ADHD influencers describe their experience

1:31.6

and an army of young fans respond saying, oh my God, me too. Some psychologists say they're

1:39.6

now seeing an increase in young people turning up at their consulting rooms believing they have the

1:46.0

condition after watching these videos.

1:48.6

To try to understand what's going on, I'm going to speak to a clinical psychologist, the head

1:55.0

of an ADHD charity and an ADHD influencer.

2:05.6

Before we get into it, I wanted to let you know that in the episode description you'll find links to information about the condition from the NHS and the charity mind.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Sky News, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Sky News and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.