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PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE No. 1894
PSYCHOLOGICAL
ISSUE No. 1856
PERSPECTIVES JAVANAN
PERSPECTIVES
JAVANAN
Dr. Alan A.
Modarressi LOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
Clinical and A SOCIOCULTURAL AND MIND AND BODY OUTLOOK
Neuro-Psychologyst
In this column, we examine the mental health issues in the context
of social, culture, and physiological concerns of the Iranian community

RARE PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS SPREADING so. Instead, it seems to be a way for kids
to claim uniqueness and experiment
AMONG TEEN GIRLS ONLINE with different identities.
The researchers write that once
New Research Shows someone self-diagnoses after viewing
social media content, they can then ex-
A ccording to a recent article in press that “illness” as part of their iden-
tity online, receiving positive feedback
Comprehensive
Psychiatry,
from a community who romanticize it
TikTok’s “sick-role subculture”
leads to children taking on the char- as something that makes the person—
acteristics of rare psychiatric diagno- paradoxically—special, just like every-
ses. Science, Psychiatry, and Social one else in that community.
“There has been a recognition of vast
Justice reports that kids—especially online ‘neurodivergence’ ecosystem in
teenage girls—are presenting with self- which classical mental illness symp-
described Tourette’s, eating disorders, toms and diagnoses are viewed less
autism, and dissociative identity disor- as mental health concerns that require
der (DID)—but suddenly, and in a way professional attention, but rather as con-
that doesn’t match how these diagnoses sumer identities or character traits that
have previously been identified. make individuals sharper and more in-
According to the researchers, identi- teresting than others around them,” the
fying with and glamorizing rare disor- researchers write.
ders has become a way for teenage girls media “mental illness” content can af- and then improve in the teenage years, Over time, despite never actually
to express extreme negative emotions fect teens: with complex gestures and verbaliza- meeting the criteria for the “illness,”
in a way that, rather than stigmatizing “The [14-year-old girl] started to self- tions (such as curse words) being rare. kids incorporate it into part of how they
them, makes them feel part of a com- identify with the creators, according Much more common are small spasm- see themselves and express it them-
munity and even feel unique and spe- to her mother, and became convinced like movements and throat-clearing selves in online communities. Thus,
cial. The researchers call it “psychoso- she had the same diagnoses, including sounds. However, the researchers write the psychiatric diagnosis is reified and
matic social contagion.” attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder that FTLBs have a sudden onset in the spread without even needing a psychia-
They write that the purpose “is to (ADHD), depression, autism, mysopho- teenage years in kids who never experi- trist to give the diagnosis.
seek affirmation and/or draw attention bia (an extreme fear of dirt and germs) enced them in early childhood; they fea- The researchers write: “The increas-
to oneself to acquire social capital in and agoraphobia (a fear of leaving the ture much larger, more noticeable, and ingly algorithmic and audiovisually im-
online communities while simultane- house). Every week, she would come complex movements, and they almost mersive social media environment is a
ously maintaining an unconventional up with another diagnosis,’ Coleman always include complex verbalizations scopic medium in which various ‘neu-
peri-psychiatric identity that may mask told CNN. ‘If she sees a hint of herself like saying offensive phrases. rodivergent’ or sick role identities or
feelings of anxiety, depression, and pos- in someone, she thinks she has it, too.’” DID is an especially rare psychiatric personas can be claimed at will, at any
sibly lower self-esteem.” The pattern is this: young girls watch diagnosis, almost unheard of in youth. given moment—with no antecedent bi-
The researchers at the University of videos by content creators who self- Previously known as “multiple person- ological basis or tether to empirical real-
Toronto and the Child and Youth Psy- identify as having these “illnesses,” ality disorder,” it involves various per- ity—with positive social and emotional
chiatry Department at the Centre for often videos that involve how the sonalities, known as “alters,” that are reinforcement and resonance from the
Addiction and Mental Health, Canada; symptoms manifest during everyday often very different—such as being dif- associated online community (e.g., via
the University of Calgary; and the West- activities and how it is an important ferent ages or genders—and the notion the use of hashtags; user-to-user sharing
ern University. part of the creator’s identity that makes that some alters don’t remember actions and amplification of content). This so-
They note that in the early 2010s, them unique. Then, kids suddenly pres- taken when other alters are in control. cial and emotional resonance may am-
content promoting eating disorders, ent with the outward symptoms, just as Despite being so rare, though, espe- plify and reinforce identification with
self-harm, and suicide became popular described by the content creator. cially in kids, social media has explod- the persona and may even predict later
on social media sites like Tumblr and For instance, according to the re- ed with a DID community, including a behaviors in line with it.
Instagram. But TikTok, with its short- searchers, the tic disorders that appear group called “plurals” who glamorize What does this mean for the notion
form video content, has a more power- in kids after watching content creators’ and sexualize the diagnosis, according that “mental illness” is “stigmatized,”
ful impact. It has now become the most videos are termed “functional tic-like to the researchers. While DID in real and we need to “raise awareness” and
widely used social media site for chil- behaviors (FTLBs).” In classic To- life is associated with the experience of “normalize” it.? Parents need to be
dren and teens. urette’s syndrome, tics usually appear significant, long-lasting trauma, DID in aware to avoid normalizing a mental ill-
An article by CNN shows how social in early childhood, develop over time, the social media world is not necessarily ness that does not exist.

DANESH FOROUGHI, PH.D. Alan Modarressi, PhD, QME
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, PSY13680 Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Marriage, Family & Child Psychotherapist, MFC23455 Qualified Medical Evaluator
Certified National Board of Addiction Examiners #4974 Certified Psychophsychologist
Tel: (310) 940-3642 Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management
15720 Ventura Blvd., Second Fl. #224 Encino CA 91436 (818) 501-6080 (562) 861-7226

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