{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]],"date-time":"2026-08-23T16:27:28Z","timestamp":1787502448600,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":61,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769904000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,1]],"date-time":"2026-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769904000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000269","name":"Economic and Social Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["ES_Y001966_1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ES_Y001966_1"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000269","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["DIGITAL HEALTH"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Social media is increasingly used as a source of mental health information for young people, with influencers playing a key role in public health communication. However, little is known about how young people engage with influencer mental health content and the media literacy skills they use to evaluate it. The objective of this study is to explore and evaluate the self-reported media literacy skills and beliefs that young people use when they encounter mental health content on TikTok.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study uses qualitative, thematic analysis to provide an empirical account of how young people interpret mental health content from influencers on TikTok. Research was conducted via eighteen group (n = 73 participants) and individual interviews (n = 13) with eighty-six participants in the United Kingdom. The analysis focused on self-reported media literacy skills and strategies for navigating influencer-led mental health content.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study identifies three contextual challenges in young people\u2019s responses to mental health content on TikTok: (I) reliability and relatability act as distinct but complementary criteria used to assess influencers and their mental health content; (II) platform beliefs influence willingness to engage with mental health content; and (III) algorithmically driven platform design hinders critical thinking about mental health content.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings highlight the sophistication of young people\u2019s media literacy skills alongside the significant, contextual barriers, which hinder the use of social media as a channel for mental health support from influencers. Our results suggest that public health campaigns may need to take a more platform-sensitive approach to online communication, acknowledging the ways platform-driven beliefs and design shape how and why young people engage with mental health content.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/20552076261479043","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]],"date-time":"2026-08-21T15:11:16Z","timestamp":1787325076000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Media literacies, platform imaginaries and mental health influencers: How young people respond to mental health content on TikTok"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1406-8666","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alex","family":"Christiansen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Arts and Law, Department of Linguistics and Communication, University of Birmingham"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2815-8382","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ruth","family":"Page","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Arts and Law, Department of Linguistics and Communication, University of Birmingham"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9075-947X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shioma-Lei","family":"Craythorne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Health and Clinical Sciences, Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, Aston University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3304-7000","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Michael","family":"Larkin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Psychology, Health and Clinical Sciences, Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, Aston University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Crawford","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Health Sciences, Division of Nursing, University of Nottingham"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0262-6088","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Evangelina","family":"Asiedu-Addo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The McPin Foundation"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emma","family":"Garavini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The McPin Foundation"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_6_2_2","volume-title":"Mental health of adolescents","author":"World Health Organisation. World Health Organisation [Internet]","year":"2025","unstructured":"World Health Organisation. World Health Organisation [Internet]. Mental health of adolescents, 2025. [cited 2025 Nov 25] Available from. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/adolescent-mental-health"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_3_2","volume-title":"Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023 - wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey","author":"NHS England. NHS England Digital [Internet]","year":"2023","unstructured":"NHS England. NHS England Digital [Internet]. Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023 - wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey, 2023. [cited 2026 Jan 26] Available from. https:\/\/digital.nhs.uk\/data-and-information\/publications\/statistical\/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england\/2023-wave-4-follow-up"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_4_2","volume-title":"People more likely to wait longer for mental health treatment","author":"Rethink: Charity for everyone living with mental illness across England","unstructured":"Rethink: Charity for everyone living with mental illness across England. People more likely to wait longer for mental health treatment. [Internet]. [cited 2026 Jun 11] Available from. https:\/\/www.rethink.org\/news-and-stories\/news-and-views\/2025\/people-more-likely-to-wait-longer-for-mental-health-treatment\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_5_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/13591045231209800"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_6_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2196\/13873"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_7_2","volume-title":"Anxious and at Breaking Point","author":"Stem4","year":"2023","unstructured":"Stem4. Anxious and at Breaking Point, 2023. [Internet] Available from. https:\/\/stem4.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Anxious-and-at-breaking-point-stem4-July-2023-survey-Sep-23.pdf"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_6_8_2","first-page":"59","article-title":"Social Media Influencers (SMIs) in Context: A Literature Review","volume":"9","author":"Alves de Castro C","year":"2022","unstructured":"Alves de Castro C, Oreilly I, Carthy A. Social Media Influencers (SMIs) in Context: A Literature Review. Journal of Marketing Management 2022; 9(2): 59\u201371. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.6084\/M9.FIGSHARE.19673517.V1","journal-title":"Journal of Marketing Management"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_9_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17482798.2019.1699589"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_10_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"The effect of social media influencers\u2019 on teenagers Behavior: an empirical study using cognitive map technique","volume":"31","author":"Lajnef K","year":"2023","unstructured":"Lajnef K. The effect of social media influencers\u2019 on teenagers Behavior: an empirical study using cognitive map technique. Curr Psychol N B Nj 2023; 31: 1\u201314, PubMed PMID: 36742063; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9887568. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s12144-023-04273-1","journal-title":"Curr Psychol N B Nj"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_11_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/20552076251382026"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_12_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/gmh.2024.117"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_13_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/capr.12732"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_14_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2055207618821521"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_15_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17439884.2021.2006691"},{"issue":"0","key":"e_1_3_6_16_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Why Health Institutions Must Learn from Social Media Influencers. A Paradigm Shift in Health Communication","volume":"0","author":"Rubinelli S","year":"2025","unstructured":"Rubinelli S. Why Health Institutions Must Learn from Social Media Influencers. A Paradigm Shift in Health Communication. J Health Commun 2025; 0(0): 1\u20134, PubMed PMID: 40525844. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10810730.2025.2517385","journal-title":"J Health Commun"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_17_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12982-025-00777-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_18_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.invent.2022.100591"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_19_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Crawford P. Mental Health Literacy and Young People [Internet]. Emerald Publishing Limited 2022. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/9781803821498. [cited 2026 Jan 19]. Available from. https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/books\/book\/10680\/Mental-Health-Literacy-and-Young-People","DOI":"10.1108\/9781803821498"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_20_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/9781802624656"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_21_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/sah0000577"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_22_2","article-title":"The social media influencers your patients are turning to before they get to your clinic [Internet]","volume":"391","author":"Paulo SS","year":"2025","unstructured":"Paulo SS. The social media influencers your patients are turning to before they get to your clinic [Internet]. BMJ. 2025; 391: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmj.r2501","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_23_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2023.116387"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_24_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-024-21095-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_25_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Influencer economies, \u2018Uber therapies,\u2019 and platformed pathologies: mental health diagnosis and sponsored TikTok content","volume":"28","author":"Avella H","year":"2024","unstructured":"Avella H. Influencer economies, \u2018Uber therapies,\u2019 and platformed pathologies: mental health diagnosis and sponsored TikTok content. Inf Commun Soc 2024; 28: 1\u201317. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/1369118X.2024.2434638","journal-title":"Inf Commun Soc"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_26_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-024-56578-1"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_27_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/20552076241288059"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_28_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/20563051241248591"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_29_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s13034-025-00932-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_30_2","volume-title":"2025 UK adults\u2019 and children\u2019s media lives. [Internet]","author":"Ofcom","year":"2025","unstructured":"Ofcom. 2025 UK adults\u2019 and children\u2019s media lives. [Internet], 2025. [cited 2025 Jul 25]. Available from. https:\/\/www.ofcom.org.uk\/siteassets\/resources\/documents\/research-and-data\/media-literacy-research\/children\/childrens-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2025\/childrens-media-literacy-report-2025.pdf?v=396621"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_31_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02681102.2020.1841713"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_32_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444815621539"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_33_2","first-page":"146144482412911","article-title":"Algorithmic media use and algorithm literacy: An integrative literature review","volume":"28","author":"Gagr\u010din E","year":"2024","unstructured":"Gagr\u010din E, Naab TK, Grub MF. Algorithmic media use and algorithm literacy: An integrative literature review. New Media Soc 2024; 28: 14614448241291137\u201314614448241291447. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/14614448241291137","journal-title":"New Media Soc"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_34_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2056305118794639"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_35_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/20563051251386360"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_36_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2056305120905366"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_37_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/ct\/qtad016"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_38_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1051144X.2020.1826224"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_39_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0002764219869406"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_40_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/2056305120933289"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_41_2","volume-title":"PoV: You are reading an academic article.\u201d The memetic performance of affiliation in TikTok\u2019s platform vernacular","author":"Trill\u00f2 T","year":"2024","unstructured":"Trill\u00f2 T. PoV: You are reading an academic article.\u201d The memetic performance of affiliation in TikTok\u2019s platform vernacular. New Media Soc, 2024. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/14614448241290234"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_42_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448221135187"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_43_2","volume-title":"Statista","author":"Statista","unstructured":"Statista. Statista. Leading social media apps children UK 2023. [Internet]. [cited 2025 Oct 23] Available from. https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1124966\/leading-social-media-apps-children-uk\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_44_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/INTR-10-2020-0593"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_45_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tele.2025.102324"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_46_2","first-page":"309","article-title":"Going Viral: Sharing of Misinformation by Social Media Influencers","volume":"25","author":"Mulcahy R","year":"2024","unstructured":"Mulcahy R, Barnes R, de Villiers Scheepers R, et al. Going Viral: Sharing of Misinformation by Social Media Influencers. Australas Mark J 2024; 25: 309. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/14413582241273987","journal-title":"Australas Mark J"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_47_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00787-025-02769-8"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_48_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.edurev.2025.100731"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_49_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2023.101738"},{"issue":"3","key":"e_1_3_6_50_2","first-page":"e70226","article-title":"Multimodal Analysis of Stories Told by Mental Health Influencers on TikTok","volume":"28","author":"Christiansen A","year":"2025","unstructured":"Christiansen A, Craythorne SL, Crawford P, et al. Multimodal Analysis of Stories Told by Mental Health Influencers on TikTok. Health Expect Int J Public Particip Health Care Health Policy 2025; 28(3): e70226, PubMed PMID: 40275621; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12021991. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/hex.70226","journal-title":"Health Expect Int J Public Particip Health Care Health Policy"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_51_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj-2025-086061"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_52_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780197695937.001.0001"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_53_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.invent.2022.100578"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_54_2","volume-title":"TikTok audience reach in the United Kingdom (UK) in March 2024, by age group [Internet]","author":"Ceci L","year":"2024","unstructured":"Ceci L. TikTok audience reach in the United Kingdom (UK) in March 2024, by age group [Internet]. Statista, 2024. Available from. https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1464776\/uk-tiktok-use-by-age\/"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_55_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14780887.2024.2382244"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_56_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/01634437221144562"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_57_2","first-page":"0","article-title":"Communicative Forms on TikTok: Perspectives From Digital Ethnography","volume":"15","author":"Schellewald A","year":"2021","unstructured":"Schellewald A. Communicative Forms on TikTok: Perspectives From Digital Ethnography. Int J Commun 2021; 15: 0.","journal-title":"Int J Commun"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_58_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/papt.12550"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_59_2","volume-title":"How digital design puts children at risk","author":"5Rights Foundation","year":"2021","unstructured":"5Rights Foundation. How digital design puts children at risk, 2021."},{"key":"e_1_3_6_60_2","first-page":"20","article-title":"Is TikTok \u201cfor\u201d News? Sociotechnical Frictions and Workarounds in Environmental News Events on TikTok","volume":"19","author":"Shaw R","year":"2025","unstructured":"Shaw R. Is TikTok \u201cfor\u201d News? Sociotechnical Frictions and Workarounds in Environmental News Events on TikTok. Int J Commun 2025; 19: 20.","journal-title":"Int J Commun"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_61_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/17538068.2023.2277600"},{"key":"e_1_3_6_62_2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/ITP-03-2021-0197"}],"container-title":["DIGITAL HEALTH"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/20552076261479043","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/20552076261479043","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/20552076261479043","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,23]],"date-time":"2026-08-23T16:16:58Z","timestamp":1787501818000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/20552076261479043"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]},"references-count":61,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/20552076261479043"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/20552076261479043","relation":{},"ISSN":["2055-2076","2055-2076"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2055-2076","type":"print"},{"value":"2055-2076","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]},"article-number":"20552076261479043"}}