Debate: Standing up for science – how to combat misinformation in child mental health? The imperative to understand and counter mental health misinformation on social media

Abstract

Children and adolescents spend a large amount of time on social media, where they often seek health information. Growing research suggests misinformation is common across various domains of health, such as infectious disease and men's sexual health. Burgeoning evidence suggests that misinformation about mental health may be common as well, especially with regard to trauma and neurodevelopmental diagnoses. There is a need to understand the real-world context that facilitates the spread of misinformation as well as what features of the online environment promote misinformation. Researchers and clinicians working with children and adolescents must consider the role of misinformation in their work. All mental health professionals need to disseminate accurate, helpful, and engaging information about mental health and mental health treatments.