TikToxic or TikDoc? A Thematic Analysis of Adolescents’ Use of Online Short Videos as a Mental Health Information and Support Source

Adolescents increasingly report anxiety and depression concerns, yet few find professional help. Online short videos (OSVs, e.g., TikToks, Instagram Reels) are popular among adolescents and might be a source of mental health information and support. To understand why and how adolescents use mental health OSVs, we conducted in-person and online interviews with 24 Dutch adolescents with anxiety and depression (14–18 years, M age = 16.21, 58.33% female) and analyzed the data using reflexive thematic analysis (using inductive and deductive coding). We identified four themes: (1) From being drawn to, to being drowned; (2) Supportive scrolls; (3) A dive into the dark; (4) Not everyone’s cup of T(ikTok). Our themes capture the multifaceted experiences of adolescents and show how adolescents initially perceived OSVs as helpful but later as overwhelming and triggering, leading to changes in use. Our findings have important implications for understanding the promises and pitfalls of OSVs and which strategies adolescents and healthcare professionals can use to navigate these pitfalls (e.g., double-checking information, the importance for professionals to address and be open-minded about adolescents’ OSVs use). Future research should adopt longitudinal, experimental or data-donation designs to elucidate causal effects.