“POV: You Have Undiagnosed ADHD” – Algorithm Responsiveness and Mental Health Communities on TikTok

Online mental health communities (OMHCs) have evolved over time in response to platform affordances. Previously, OMHCs were understood to have clear boundaries and membership criteria, but algorithm-driven platforms have introduced ambiguity in how communities are defined and prompted new questions regarding how social support is delivered and perceived within them. This project leverages the algorithm responsiveness process to explain OMHCs on TikTok, describing the role of perceived algorithm responsiveness (PAR) in community formation and perception of informational and emotional support. I surveyed TikTok users (n=414) who had seen content about mental health on the platform within the last month about their TikTok use and perceptions surrounding that content. Initially, I assessed how frequency of algorithmic exposure to mental health content is associated with belongingness and PAR, finding that individuals who report seeing more content about a given mental health topic on TikTok are more likely to feel a sense of belonging surrounding it, as well as feel that the platform’s algorithm is responsive to their identity. I then assessed how these variables are associated with the perceived credibility of mental health information shared on TikTok and the perceived emotional support available on the platform related to that topic. Individuals who reported greater belongingness and PAR also reported that the mental health information on TikTok was more credible (whether shared by healthcare providers, general users, or overall), as well as perceived more emotional support related to their most frequently seen mental health topic. Ultimately, I propose a model in which individuals who are exposed to more mental health content about a specific topic on TikTok are more likely to feel that they belong to that OMHC and that the platform algorithm understands and validates them, and each of these factors, in turn, increases their perception that they receive emotional support from that OMHC and that the mental health information shared on the platform is generally credible. Future research into TikTok’s OMHCs and health information should consider the role of human-algorithm interaction in subsequent outcomes like information uptake and health behavior change.

Author dc:creator

• Manda Coupe (23291644)

• Mass Communications

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.25417/uic.31451407.v1

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:figshare.com:article/31451407