Where do you get your information about prescription drugs? While commercials for over-the-counter medications are common worldwide, only two countries allow direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising: the United States and New Zealand. This is why American digital and analog media consumption is often peppered with information on conditions and the medications that treat them.
While TV and magazine advertisements are carefully regulated, doctors and psychiatrists have noticed a new frontier for self-diagnosis and treatment: social media. In particular, younger generations learn about various conditions via TikTok and claim to need certain medications to treat them.
There are severe drawbacks to marketing prescriptions on a platform like TikTok – or even encouraging patients to diagnose themselves. Here's what medical professionals have seen from patients and why they are concerned.
Introducing ADHDTok
TikTok is a video-centric app primarily used by people younger than 24. The app has grown in popularity over the years, for better or worse. TikTok was packed with how-to guides for sourdough and banana bread at the start of the pandemic, but it has also popularized dangerous trends – including one where people try to climb a large stack of milk crates without falling.
One community that has steadily grown over the past year is ADHDTok. This is a place on the internet where users with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a cognitive and learning disability, can share their experiences and talk about what it's like to navigate the world when you think differently than most people. Some people have even discovered that they have ADHD while watching TikTok videos, causing them to seek out formal diagnoses and professional care.
However, some doctors are worried that ADHDTok can lead to misdiagnosis, and patients can self-diagnose and try to medicate themselves without a professional's opinion. Additionally, a person with ADHD might have other disabilities that are undiagnosed and potentially worsened by ADHD medication. While ADHDTok can be useful for sharing information, it can't be the only resource patients turn to.
Prescription drug startups are trying to reach TikTok users
As more people learn about ADHD (especially adults, women, and people of color who are typically underdiagnosed), the market for solutions to this condition grows. Doctors have increasingly noticed that more patients are arriving with self-diagnosis to their offices that are incorrect and, at times, completely baseless.
"I hear parents say, you know, my kid comes to me and says, 'I think I have ADHD, PTSD, bipolar disorder, etc'… they're like, where is my kid getting this?" says Dr. C. Neill Epperson, a psychiatrist at the University of Colorado.
Additionally, more kids and teens have started to request medications to treat these conditions, often saying they need specific brand names like Adderall and Vyvanse to function.
Dr. Ravi Shah, a psychiatrist at Columbia University, has noticed how prescription ads on TikTok get spread across the web. In an article with the New York Post, Shah shares how one spot highlights all the good things that can come with taking ADHD medication. Users can focus better, have improved time management, and experience less anxiety – to name a few perks. The video shows a woman focusing on a computer-based task after taking an orange prescription bottle pill. The clip promotes medication delivery from a startup company in San Francisco.
These videos also reach people who don't have ADHD, either because they have misdiagnosed themselves or don't have any symptoms. Shah believes the video message could be misconstrued to claim that anyone could benefit from ADHD pills.
"The ad makes it seem as though this is what will happen if you take ADHD medications, but whether you actually have ADHD is not necessarily relevant," says Shah.
People often glamorize ADHD medication
When prescribed to the right patients, medication for ADHD can help overcome some of the more frustrating aspects of this disability. These patients often work carefully with their doctors, so the prescription will help them accomplish essential tasks without impacting their lives severely. However, there's a certain glamorization of ADHD medication where people think it's a silver-bullet solution for study help.
CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) has spoken out on how ADHD medication is not a study aid for anyone who has trouble focusing. High school and college students often seek these stimulants because they want to focus on a last-minute project or cram all night for a test.
There are other ways people glamorize ADHD medication that could put their health at risk. Cerebral, another mental health care startup, was criticized in January for implying that ADHD medication can fight obesity. The ad said that obesity is five times more prevalent in adults with ADHD, and medication can prevent people from having an overeating impulse.
The ad was quickly pulled as critics highlighted how dangerous such a vague message could be. Based on the video, viewers could conclude that they have ADHD because they overeat or that ADHD medication can serve as a weight-loss drug. The ad also seems to blame weight gain entirely on a disability while simultaneously shaming people who are overweight.
Medical professionals call for regulation
Some doctors and psychologists are trying to develop recommendations for ethical advertising with prescription medication – especially on platforms like TikTok that target young people.
Their first concern is with medication-forward advertising, which presents a pack of pills as the optimal solution, rather than highlighting the importance of therapy and behavioral changes. Often, people with ADHD can't just take a pill and feel fine. They also have to build healthy habits to succeed in school or work.
They also recommend avoiding mentioning prescriptions by name. Startups that promote medication delivery will highlight the brands they offer, but this leads young people to specifically request Adderall or Vyvanse without knowing whether these name-brand stimulants would suit them.
The goal of ADHDTok isn't to create a pipeline where young people can start taking medication after a digital self-diagnosis. The goal is to raise awareness about this disability for those who need to be diagnosed while helping others understand what it's like living with it.
If you think you might have ADHD or know someone undiagnosed, don't rely on apps like TikTok to guide you. Consult with a medical professional specializing in ADHD for adults, teens, or kids. They can help you develop a deeper understanding of this condition and how to live with it – medicated or not.
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