In the era of TikTok, self-diagnosis of mental health and developmental conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is on the rise among young people.
Some posts include people sharing reasons they believe their self-diagnosis is valid, while others contain mental health professionals stressing the importance of getting diagnosed by a provider.
“Self-diagnosis has always been a risky pursuit. Social media has only increased the potential dangers of self-diagnosis,” Joseph O’Brien, LCSW, manager of the Behavioral Wellness Center at Inspira Health, told Healthline.