Conclusion

With social media becoming more prevalent than ever, it’s important to remember that not everything you see on the internet is accurate. Social media gives us a chance to connect with people all over the world and share our experiences with one another, normalizing and de-stigmatizing mental health disorders, and increasing the chances that those struggling with mental health disorders will seek help. However, the ease with which information or misinformation can be shared may also lead to increases in self-diagnosis, or self-misdiagnosis.

It’s important to remember that if you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health disorder, the best course of action is always to seek help from a mental health professional. As we’ve explored, self-reporting tools, while useful, are not the same thing as a formal diagnosis from a mental health professional. The Beck Depression Inventory is valuable in determining how severe depressive symptoms are, but can’t detect lies in the patient’s answers, making it unsuitable on its own for diagnosis. The MMPI is useful in identifying a number of mental health disorders and detecting lies, but it isn’t free and takes a few hours to administer. The WURS and ASRS can be useful in the screening process for ADHD, but they should be used in conjunction with other tests before a formal diagnosis is made. Self-reporting tools like the aforementioned Beck Depression Inventory, MMPI, WURS, and ASRS are just that—tools to assist in diagnosis, but never meant to replace formal diagnosis.

So if you or someone you know might be suffering from a mental health disorder, picking the appropriate self-reporting tool can be helpful, and visiting a therapist can be even better, but don’t rely on social media to have all the answers.

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