JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

Young adults increasingly rely on online resources for mental health information and support. Alongside active information-seeking, they also encounter information passively, e.g. through algorithmically curated content on social media. In spite of the growing literature on information-seeking, less is known about how young adults navigate broader online mental health information ecosystems, including active and passive exposure, verification practices, and the impact on self-diagnosis behaviours.

Objective:

Objective:

This study investigates how young adults interact with online mental health ecosystems by examining (1) passive exposure to mental health content, (2) active information-seeking behaviours, (3) verification practices, (4) evaluations of online information sources, and (5) self-diagnosis experiences and attitudes.

Methods:

Methods:

We conducted an anonymous online survey (n=106) with young adults aged 18–28, living in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The survey examined interactions with online mental health content, verification behaviours, emotional impacts, perceptions of information sources, and self-diagnosis experiences. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were analysed using inductive content analysis.

Results:

Results:

Passive encounters with mental health content were common, with 97.2% of participants frequently encountering such content. Most participants (72.6%) also actively sought mental health information online. While passive exposure occurred primarily through social media platforms such as Instagram (85.7%) and TikTok (55.2%), active information-seeking was more commonly associated with health-focused websites (81.6%). Official health websites were perceived as the most trustworthy and reliable sources, while social media and influencer content were rated as more engaging. Verification practices were infrequent, particularly for passively encountered content, with 53.3% of participants reporting that they rarely or never verified such information. Self-diagnosis was common, with 76.4% of participants strongly suspecting having a mental health condition. Participants described self-understanding, emotional validation, and barriers to professional care as key motivators for self-diagnosis.

Conclusions:

Conclusions:

This study contributes evidence on how young adults navigate online mental health information. It shows that young people frequently encounter mental health information, both actively and passively, and demonstrates how multiple sources combine to form an overall information ecosystem. Verification practices were uncommon. We found an inverse relationship between trust in different sources and engagement, and identified gaps between self-diagnosis and professional support. Based on our findings, we identify key opportunities and challenges for future research, including the need to support verification practices and the challenge of translating self-diagnosis into more formal help-seeking.