There has been a surge in individuals seeking neuropsychological assessment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) after watching social media created by people claiming to have ADHD. While online content may promote destigmatization of ADHD, self-diagnoses derived from social media use may contribute to the development of inaccurate illness beliefs. Individuals who feel strongly connected to social media that mentions personal anecdotes of ADHD might be more likely to believe they also have ADHD. We examined associations between social media search for ADHD and beliefs about everyday experiences being diagnostic of ADHD among adults concerned about having ADHD, as compared to a control group.

A cross-sectional online study included 320 university students (Mage=19.56±2.92; 72% female; 81% White) without history of ADHD. Participants who reported concern about having ADHD, with (n=43) or without other psychological history (n=73) rated whether 100 experiences taken from social media were diagnostic of ADHD, and then rated the amount of time they spent on social media searching for ADHD content. They then rated how often they personally experienced the symptoms. Participants who reported no concern about having ADHD (n=184) only rated how often they personally experienced the symptoms.

Social media search for ADHD was related to total number of experiences believed to be diagnostic of ADHD among participants concerned about having ADHD without psychological history (r=.28, p=.03), but not for those with psychological history (r=.09, p=.57). For participants concerned about having ADHD (regardless of psychological history), social media search for ADHD was related to total number of symptoms personally experienced (rs=.48-.56, ps<.001) and to the number of symptoms endorsed at a clinical level (rs=.48, ps<.001). Total number of experiences believed to be diagnostic of ADHD was related to the number of symptoms personally experienced among participants concerned about having ADHD with psychological history (r=.53, p<.001; clinical level .47, p=.002), but not for those without psychological history (r=.14, p=.31; clinical level .19, p=.15). Of the 100 symptoms, 56 were believed to be diagnostic of ADHD by at least 50% of participants concerned about having ADHD. Of the 56, 43 were personally experienced at a clinical level by controls. For the 13 remaining symptoms not endorsed at a clinical level by controls, symptoms believed to be diagnostic of ADHD was related to symptoms personally experienced among participants concerned about having ADHD with psychological history (r=.53, p<.001; clinical level .52, p<.001), but not for those without psychological history (r=.14, p=.30; clinical level .19, p=.15).

Greater social media search for ADHD is related to higher symptom report among individuals concerned about having ADHD regardless of psychological history. However, individuals concerned about having ADHD without psychological history who engage in greater social media use appear to be more likely to believe that general symptoms are specifically due to ADHD. These individuals may be more prone to misattribute symptoms to ADHD. Nearly 77% of symptoms rated as diagnostic of ADHD were frequently experienced by individuals without concern about having ADHD, which demonstrates the high base rate of ADHD-like symptoms in the general population.