Experts Caution Against Self-Diagnosis Via Social Media
Mental health professionals warn that social media and AI-driven self-diagnosis can mislead youngsters, urging them to seek qualified help before taking medication.
As World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10, professionals are raising concerns over youngsters increasingly relying on social media posts and artificial intelligence platforms to interpret their emotional struggles, often arriving for consultations with self-diagnosed depression and anxiety.
“People fail to express themselves, and that is where the problem starts,” said Jawaharlal Nehru P, senior psychologist at Tele-MANAS, Telangana, noting how gaps in communication leave people dependent on online content for answers.
He said leisure time often translated into unfiltered mobile phone use, with social media feeds exposing users to varied material while parents were not always able to monitor or guide what their children consumed. When communication failed, youngsters turned to online platforms for explanations, though social media and AI tools generated responses based only on user prompts, not on actual clinical assessment.
He advised that online information should be treated only as a starting point, read critically, and followed up with consultation from a qualified doctor rather than self-diagnosis.
Srilakshmi, senior psychiatrist at Roshini, a mental health helpline, said public awareness remained inadequate, with several conditions continuing to be taboo. Content creators often failed to explain differences between disorders, leaving viewers confused or convinced they had a particular condition.
She said many callers, especially youngsters, approached the helpline with self-diagnosed conditions, describing symptoms they believed indicated depression, anxiety or suicidal tendencies.
Srilakshmi cautioned against taking medication without professional consultation, stressing that symptoms varied between individuals and inappropriate medication could cause complications. She expressed concern about dependence on sleeping pills among those attempting to manage problems without guidance.
She advised people to verify a professional’s qualifications before seeking treatment and to consult qualified mental health specialists.
