Abstract：
BACKGROUND: TikTok (ByteDance) experienced a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for people to interact with others, share experiences and thoughts related to the pandemic, and cope with ongoing mental health challenges. However, few studies have explored how youth use TikTok to learn about mental health.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand how youth used TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic to learn about mental health and mental health support.
METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 youths (aged 12-24 years) living in British Columbia, Canada, who had accessed TikTok for mental health information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using an inductive, data-driven approach.
RESULTS: A total of 3 overarching themes were identified describing youth\'s experiences. The first theme centered on how TikTok gave youth easy access to mental health information and support, which was particularly helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic to curb the effects of social isolation and the additional challenges of accessing mental health services. The second theme described how the platform provided youth with connection, as it gave youth a safe space to talk about mental health and allowed them to feel seen by others going through similar experiences. This helped normalize and destigmatize conversations about mental health and brought awareness to various mental health conditions. Finally, the last theme focused on how this information led to action, such as trying different coping strategies, discussing mental health with peers and family, accessing mental health services, and advocating for themselves during medical appointments. Across the 3 themes, youth expressed having to be mindful of bias and misinformation, highlighting the barriers to identifying and reporting misinformation and providing individualized advice on the platform.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that TikTok can be a useful tool to increase mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage youth to learn and address their mental health challenges while providing a source of peer connection and support. Simultaneously, TikTok can adversely impact mental health through repetitive exposure to mentally distressing content and misleading diagnosis and treatment information. Regulations against harmful content are needed to mitigate these risks and make TikTok safer for youth. Efforts should also be made to increase media and health literacy among youth so that they can better assess the information they consume online.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to understand how youth used TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic to learn about mental health and mental health support.
METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 youths (aged 12-24 years) living in British Columbia, Canada, who had accessed TikTok for mental health information during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using an inductive, data-driven approach.
RESULTS: A total of 3 overarching themes were identified describing youth\'s experiences. The first theme centered on how TikTok gave youth easy access to mental health information and support, which was particularly helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic to curb the effects of social isolation and the additional challenges of accessing mental health services. The second theme described how the platform provided youth with connection, as it gave youth a safe space to talk about mental health and allowed them to feel seen by others going through similar experiences. This helped normalize and destigmatize conversations about mental health and brought awareness to various mental health conditions. Finally, the last theme focused on how this information led to action, such as trying different coping strategies, discussing mental health with peers and family, accessing mental health services, and advocating for themselves during medical appointments. Across the 3 themes, youth expressed having to be mindful of bias and misinformation, highlighting the barriers to identifying and reporting misinformation and providing individualized advice on the platform.
CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that TikTok can be a useful tool to increase mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage youth to learn and address their mental health challenges while providing a source of peer connection and support. Simultaneously, TikTok can adversely impact mental health through repetitive exposure to mentally distressing content and misleading diagnosis and treatment information. Regulations against harmful content are needed to mitigate these risks and make TikTok safer for youth. Efforts should also be made to increase media and health literacy among youth so that they can better assess the information they consume online.
摘要：
背景：在COVID-19大流行期间，TikTok（字节跳动）的受欢迎程度激增，这是人们与他人互动的一种方式，分享与大流行有关的经验和想法，并应对持续的心理健康挑战。然而,很少有研究探讨年轻人如何使用TikTok来了解心理健康。
目的：本研究旨在了解青少年在COVID-19大流行期间如何使用TikTok来了解心理健康和心理健康支持。
方法：对居住在不列颠哥伦比亚省的21名青年（12-24岁）进行了半结构化访谈，加拿大,他在COVID-19大流行期间访问了TikTok以获取心理健康信息。采访是录音的，逐字转录，编码,并使用归纳法进行分析，数据驱动的方法。
结果：总共确定了3个总体主题，描述了青年的经历。第一个主题集中在TikTok如何让年轻人轻松获得心理健康信息和支持。这在COVID-19大流行期间特别有助于遏制社会孤立的影响和获得精神卫生服务的额外挑战。第二个主题描述了该平台如何为年轻人提供联系，因为它给了年轻人一个安全的空间来谈论心理健康，并让他们感到被其他人看到经历类似的经历。这有助于规范和消除有关心理健康的对话，并提高人们对各种心理健康状况的认识。最后,最后一个主题集中在这些信息如何导致行动，比如尝试不同的应对策略，与同龄人和家人讨论心理健康，获得精神卫生服务，在医疗预约中为自己辩护。在三个主题中，年轻人表示必须注意偏见和错误信息，强调识别和报告错误信息以及在平台上提供个性化建议的障碍。
结论：研究结果表明，TikTok可以成为提高心理健康意识的有用工具。减少污名，并鼓励年轻人学习和应对他们的心理健康挑战，同时提供同伴联系和支持。同时,TikTok会通过反复接触精神上令人痛苦的内容以及误导性的诊断和治疗信息，对心理健康产生不利影响。需要针对有害内容的法规来减轻这些风险，并使TikTok对年轻人更安全。还应努力提高青年的媒体和健康素养，以便他们能够更好地评估他们在网上消费的信息。
目的：本研究旨在了解青少年在COVID-19大流行期间如何使用TikTok来了解心理健康和心理健康支持。
方法：对居住在不列颠哥伦比亚省的21名青年（12-24岁）进行了半结构化访谈，加拿大,他在COVID-19大流行期间访问了TikTok以获取心理健康信息。采访是录音的，逐字转录，编码,并使用归纳法进行分析，数据驱动的方法。
结果：总共确定了3个总体主题，描述了青年的经历。第一个主题集中在TikTok如何让年轻人轻松获得心理健康信息和支持。这在COVID-19大流行期间特别有助于遏制社会孤立的影响和获得精神卫生服务的额外挑战。第二个主题描述了该平台如何为年轻人提供联系，因为它给了年轻人一个安全的空间来谈论心理健康，并让他们感到被其他人看到经历类似的经历。这有助于规范和消除有关心理健康的对话，并提高人们对各种心理健康状况的认识。最后,最后一个主题集中在这些信息如何导致行动，比如尝试不同的应对策略，与同龄人和家人讨论心理健康，获得精神卫生服务，在医疗预约中为自己辩护。在三个主题中，年轻人表示必须注意偏见和错误信息，强调识别和报告错误信息以及在平台上提供个性化建议的障碍。
结论：研究结果表明，TikTok可以成为提高心理健康意识的有用工具。减少污名，并鼓励年轻人学习和应对他们的心理健康挑战，同时提供同伴联系和支持。同时,TikTok会通过反复接触精神上令人痛苦的内容以及误导性的诊断和治疗信息，对心理健康产生不利影响。需要针对有害内容的法规来减轻这些风险，并使TikTok对年轻人更安全。还应努力提高青年的媒体和健康素养，以便他们能够更好地评估他们在网上消费的信息。
