Social Psychiatry, Vol. 54 No. 2, 2026.
Meeting abstract
https://doi.org/10.24869/spsih.2026.308
The Impact of Mental Health Content on Social Media on Adolescents’ Perceptions of Psychopathology: Clinical Case Reports
Ana Kaštelan
; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Krešimirova 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Macha Natacha Bogdanović
; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Krešimirova 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
*
Iva Kapetanović
; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Krešimirova 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Lucia Turković
; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Clinic for Psychiatry, Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Krešimirova 42, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Introduction: Social networks are one of the
main sources of information about mental health
among adolescents. Although such content can
contribute to greater awareness, it often includes
simplified or inaccurate depictions of psychopathology
through which adolescents understand
and interpret their own psychological difficulties.
Of particular concern is the emergence of
self‑diagnosis and identification with popularized
diagnostic categories. Aim: To present the impact
of online mental health–related content on the
perception and presentation of psychopathological
symptoms in adolescents during psychiatric assessment. Case reports: We present seven adolescents
hospitalized in child and adolescent psychiatry
who, during assessment, spontaneously
linked their own difficulties with diagnoses and
concepts about which they had previously learned
through social networks and online content. They
most commonly reported suspecting personality
disorders, dissociative identity disorder, bipolar
disorder, depressive disorders, ADHD, autism
spectrum disorders, and gender dysphoria. A tendency
was observed to recognize their own experiences
in simplified descriptions of symptoms
and to rely on the experiences of influencers and
online communities as a relevant source of information.
Conclusion: Social networks and online
content are a significant factor in shaping adolescents’
understanding of psychopathology. During
psychiatric evaluation, it is important to systematically
examine the sources of mental health
information to which young people are exposed
and to assess their impact on the emergence of
symptoms and the formation of illness identity.
The presented cases indicate the need to develop
media literacy and psychoeducation programs for
adolescents and parents, as well as the need for
further research on the impact of digital content
on young people’s mental health.
Keywords
social networks; digital content; mental health; adolescents; self‑diagnosis
Hrčak ID:
353008
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2026.
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