What happens when young people diagnose their own mental health conditions? How are clinicians responding to a growing trend shaped by social media, online communities, and increasing mental health awareness?
In this episode of Mind the Kids, host Dr Clara Faria, Academic Clinical Fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, speaks with Katie Cunningham-Rowe from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, about her qualitative study exploring clinicians' perspectives on adolescent self-diagnosis of mental health disorders.
Together they discuss the complex realities behind self-diagnosis in young people, including the influence of TikTok and online mental health communities, the role of identity formation during adolescence, and the potential benefits and risks of adopting diagnostic labels without formal assessment.
The conversation explores:
🔹 Why self-diagnosis has become increasingly common among adolescents
🔹 The impact of social media algorithms on mental health identities
🔹 How online communities can provide validation, belonging, and support
🔹 Concerns about misinformation and diagnostic accuracy
🔹 The relationship between self-diagnosis and help-seeking behaviour
🔹 Why clinicians view self-diagnosis as valuable therapeutic material
🔹 When diagnostic labels can become restrictive or central to identity
🔹 The importance of empathy, curiosity, and nuanced clinical practice
🔹 Future research on adolescent self-diagnosis and mental health care
Katie highlights that self-diagnosis is rarely a simple issue. While clinicians identified potential risks, they also recognised that young people often turn to diagnostic labels in an attempt to understand genuine distress, seek support, and make sense of their experiences.
This thoughtful discussion offers important insights for clinicians, researchers, educators, students, and anyone interested in adolescent mental health in the digital age.
📖 Read the paper:'Adolescent Self-Diagnosis of Mental Health Disorders: A Qualitative Study of Mental Health Clinicians' Perspectives' Katie Cunningham-Rowe, Lucy Foulkes
First published: 15 July 2026
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