Content analysis of youth mental health self-disclosure on social media

Many young people turn to social media platforms to cope with mental health challenges. Online self-disclosure of mental health conditions among youth is an emerging phenomenon that raises new questions about the motivations behind this behaviour and its reception by online users. We analysed a cross-section of social media posts and comments from Reddit ( n = 957; 763) and TikTok ( n = 455; 12,987) to examine self-disclosure posts about anxiety and depression, inferred motivations behind the self-disclosure, and the nature of responses from other users. We found that posts often pertained to barriers to accessing mental health support and to external, internal, and relational conflicts that led to mental distress. Venting was a common reason for self-disclosure, advice and support-seeking were more prevalent on Reddit, and education and encouragement were more common on TikTok. Most responses to posts focused on giving informational support or relating by self-disclosing a personal experience. Online self-disclosure of mental health is a common practice among young social media users that has implications for how young people understand and cope with mental health challenges. Supporting youth in making decisions around social media use is both necessary and urgent to maximize benefits and minimize harms of this behaviour.