Exploring Mental Health Content in TikTok Videos
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Abstract
This research aimed to explore: 1) the content of mental health videos published on TikTok and viewer engagement with that content, and 2) the goals of mental health content in TikTok videos and viewer engagement with those goals. Samples were purposively selected from the first 100 Thai-language videos with the hashtag #สุขภาพจิต (mental health) that appeared on the TikTok search bar. A coding sheet was used as the research instrument for collecting data. Content analysis employed frequency and percentage to present the findings.
The results revealed that: 1) The majority of published videos on TikTok were related to depression (21%), followed by general mental health (19%), anxiety/fear (14%), problem-solving techniques/methods (13%), interpersonal relationships (10%), personal experiences (9%), stress (6%), child and adolescent mental health (4%), influences of biological and nervous systems on mental health (2%), and narcissistic personality disorder (2%). Content related to general mental health received the highest viewer engagement (views, likes, and comments), with 12,939,512 views (46.03%), 1,483,371 likes (51.62%), and 14,147 comments (53.90%). 2) The primary goal of most mental health content in TikTok videos was to explain mental health issues (43%). However, when considering viewer engagement, content focused on sharing strategies and healing experiences received the most views (13,648,077 views, 48.56%) and likes (1,393,146 likes, 48.48%). While content focused on providing support received the most comments (10,894 comments, 41.50%).
The recommendation is that relevant agencies, such as the Department of Mental Health, psychiatrists, mental health professionals, content creators, and influencers, collaborate on using the research findings to create informative mental health videos specifically targeted towards Thai adolescents.
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