Social media outpacing experts as source of mental health information for 2 in 3 Australians

More than half of Australians are turning away from mental health professionals and to social media instead – possibly to “their own detriment”.

An overwhelming majority of Australians struggling with their mental health are turning to social media – not trained professionals – for answers, in what experts say could be to “their own downfall and their own detriment”.

Research by News Corp’s Growth Distillery with Medibank found for almost two in three Australians, these informal, peer-driven platforms outpace established medical sources and experts when it came to identifying their primary resource of mental health and wellbeing information.

Instagram and TikTok present a seemingly endless reserve of such intel to our nation’s youngest, with 49 per cent of Gen Zers and 33 per cent of millennials turning to the former, and 44 per cent of Gen Zers and 25 per cent of millennials to the latter. Those with below-average mental health status were also significantly more likely (27 per cent) to seek advice from TikTok especially than those who considered their wellbeing above-average (19 per cent).

This is despite the fact almost a third of Gen Z respondents reported negative impacts from extensive social media use, attributing their increased daily stress and anxiety to doom scrolling and comparing themselves to others.

Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needed to have the most important conversation of their life.

Such findings support a growing body of evidence of the potential long-term harm caused to those who have come of age under the glow of a smartphone. American social psychologist Jonathan Haidt has gone so far as to argue the devices are solely to blame for the mental health crisis Gen Z is currently suffering from.

“There is so much research, there is so much evidence about how dangerous (social media) is,” clinical psychologist Amanda Gordon said.

“So much evidence that it changes people’s brains in a manner that they can’t focus and concentrate on one thing, that they need breaks all the time, that they become less discriminating of material and less critical readers and thinkers, that they compare themselves – they’re thrown up images that are unrealistic and unreasonable in terms of what life should be, and they compare themselves to it to their own downfall, their own detriment.”

Almost 2 in 3 Australians seek mental health and wellbeing information from social media, not a trained professional. Picture: AFP Photo/Mladen Antonov

Though Curtin University Associate Professor and clinical psychologist, Dr Patrick Clarke, does not agree with the assertion the internet is to blame for the declining mental wellbeing of young Australians, “there can be some problems with relying heavily or exclusively on social media for mental health info (given) much of (it) is from influencers with no mental health expertise who are seeking engagement”.

“The dangers are similar to seeking other health-related info on social media – for example, directing people to ineffective or potentially damaging treatments, incorrect self-diagnosis, potential reinforcement of some harmful behaviours (like self-harm or disordered eating), and particularly providing information or advice that has the effect of delaying or avoiding seeking professional support,” Dr Clarke said.

That Gen Z “has grown up with social media platforms”, headspace manager of clinical Advice and Governance Caroline Thain said, means they “understand the benefits and risks of (them) intimately”.

“We also understand there are many other issues in their life that affect their mental health, including cost of living, uncertainty about the future and concerns about the climate, to name a few.

“There is no singular cause of mental ill-health, and the issues facing young people require the collective efforts of government, the health sector, business and the community.

“By focusing too heavily on just one environment, we risk missing the opportunity to support young people with issues and challenges that can arise in a multitude of ways, both online and offline.”

Instagram and TikTok present a seemingly endless reserve of information to Gen Z and Millennials. Picture: Denis Charlet/AFP

There are three key reasons, Ms Gordon said, Gen Z is seeking information or help from the likes of TikTok and Instagram.

“It’s the accessibility of it being (available) 24/7 – because Gen Zers who are worried about mental health are often worried about it at midnight or two o’clock in the morning; it’s accessibility in terms of cost, in that it’s free; and it’s the anonymity of it,” Ms Gordon said.

If a young person asks a mental health professional about anxiety, “we’ll want to probe a little bit and find out what’s going on for you and whether we can give you specific help and specific information”, she said.

It’s a level of interrogation that can be avoided if you type the same question into a social media platform’s search bar, Ms Gordon added. “The problem with not revealing yourself, though, is that you’re not going to get information that’s necessarily useful to you.”

Dr Clarke noted another reason Gen Z is getting information from such social media is “because it’s where they are already engaging”.

“I’m not sure that a young person experiences a problem, and then says, ‘I know, I’ll check TikTok’,” Dr Clarke said. “I suspect it is probably more that social media is where they are getting the info, because it’s where they already are.

“I think convenience, rather than cost, is also likely to be an issue. Accessing professional support often involves disclosure to a parent, disclosure to a doctor, and spending time on a waitlist to see a mental health professional.

“A phone is very accessible by comparison. So particularly at the early stages of experiencing difficulties, young people may seek more information from social media.”

Curtin University Associate Professor and clinical psychologist, Dr Patrick Clarke. Picture: Supplied

headspace Manager of Clinical Advice and Governance, Caroline Thain. Picture: Supplied

The potential benefits, Dr Clarke said, to Gen Zers looking for mental health advice in such familiar spaces shouldn’t be dismissed.

“Hearing others discuss their experiences can help a young person feel less isolated and potentially also destigmatise accessing help for mental health services,” he continued.

“Normalising help-seeking can encourage young people to seek professional support when needed. Obviously it depends on the quality of the content and the ability of users to engage critically.

“There are more professionals engaging with people via online platforms which increases exposure to incredible information.”

It is therefore imperative, Dr Clarke said, to “educate young people on critical engagement with social media and determining more and less credible sources”.

“(This) is perhaps one of the most important skills that will help them safely navigate mental health information on social media,” he said.

Gen Zers should firstly recognise, Ms Thain advised, “when social media makes us compare ourselves to others”.

“Many posts are edited, staged, or carefully chosen to create a certain image,” she said.

“Reminding yourself that what you see online isn’t always real can help reduce pressure and build a healthier mindset.”

It’s critical to ‘educate young people on critical engagement with social media and determining more and less credible sources’. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Next, Ms Thain said, “clean your feed. Go through your feed and consider the following: Do the accounts you follow make you feel good about yourself and your life? Do they annoy or upset you? Do you experience unhelpful thoughts or feelings when you’re scrolling through? Try unfollowing or muting those accounts and spend time building a positive feed”.

Finally, it’s “important” to strike a balance between spending time online and “activities that support our wellbeing”.

“Set limits by tracking your usage, turning off notifications, and unfollowing accounts that negatively impact you,” Ms Thain said.

“Start with small changes, like leaving your phone outside your bedroom or using a separate alarm and gradually build healthier habits.”

Originally published as Social media outpacing experts as source of mental health information for 2 in 3 Australians