(MedPage Today) – The risks of social media-driven self-diagnosis extend beyond simple misinformation. Patients may engage in inappropriate self-treatment based on misdiagnosis, or experience a nocebo effect where expected symptoms begin to manifest simply because they anticipate them. Perhaps most concerning is when young people form their entire identity around a self-diagnosed label, making it psychologically difficult to accept a different professional assessment. Social media’s tendency to reduce complex psychiatric conditions to simple symptom checklists can lead patients to miss important nuances, comorbidities, or alternative explanations for their experiences. As clinicians, we must help patients understand that while their distress is real and valid, accurate diagnosis requires comprehensive assessment that considers developmental history, context, and differential diagnoses — something a TikTok video cannot provide. (Read More)