Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPossible RisksUser StatisticsSocial Media RisksHow to Search OnlineReputable Websites
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Possible Risks
User Statistics
Social Media Risks
How to Search Online
Reputable Websites
More people turn to the Internet for health information than you might expect. Several studies suggest that as many as 81.5% of adults in the United States search the Internet whenever they have concerns about their health.While some use the information to direct them to the appropriate care, others use it to self-diagnose and self-treat.
The problem with this is that the quality of online resources varies dramatically. Even Wikipedia, the world’s largest and most-read reference source, is frequently cited for inaccuracies in its health content.Some online sources, especially those on social media, can be outright misleading.
On top of this, it can be difficult to impossible for even a skilled clinician to diagnose many medical conditions based on symptoms alone. If a condition is serious, the consequence of misdiagnosis can be severe.
This article described the hazards of self-diagnosis and self-treatment from the Internet. It also offers tips on how to find reliable websites for general health and medical information.
Hero Images / Getty Images
What Are the Risks of Self-Diagnosing?
There is a lot of medical information online, some of it credible and some of it not. Even if a website is accurate, it is easy for someone without medical training to misinterpret it.
Using online information to self-diagnose poses numerous concerns, not least of which includes:
WarningAccording to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, some Chinese herbal products have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxic compounds. Manufacturing errors, in which one herb is mistakenly replaced with another, have also led to serious complications.
Warning
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, some Chinese herbal products have been found to be contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides, and other toxic compounds. Manufacturing errors, in which one herb is mistakenly replaced with another, have also led to serious complications.
Diabetes Misdiagnosis: How It Happens and What to Do
Who Searches for Health Information?
Research suggests that people who turn to the Internet for health information tend to be more affluent and educated. This is due in part to greater access to digital tools and high-speed internet.
The Digital DivideThe research highlights social inequalities in internet access, referred to as the “digital divide.” Inequalities in access create obstacles to finding health information for lower-income and unemployed people who are already less likely to have adequate healthcare.
The Digital Divide
The research highlights social inequalities in internet access, referred to as the “digital divide.” Inequalities in access create obstacles to finding health information for lower-income and unemployed people who are already less likely to have adequate healthcare.
How Many People Self-Diagnose Mental Illness?
People not only use the Internet to research physical illnesses but mental illnesses as well. And, in some instances, learning about the symptoms of a mental condition (likebipolar disorder) has led them to seek a diagnosis and treatment. This is especially true among younger people ages 15 to 35.
Others, however, recognize certain mental health symptoms and diagnose themselves without seeking treatment. The problem with this is that you are more likely to get it wrong than right.
According to a 2023 study from Indiana University involving 2,237 college students, those who self-diagnosed themselves withdepression,social anxiety disorder,agoraphobia,panic disorder, andgeneral anxiety disorderwere five to 11 times more likely to get it wrong than right.
Among those who recognize their symptoms, there are many reasons why they do not seek treatment. According to a 2020 study published inCureus,people with depression are 42% more likely to search online for mental health information than see a provider. Their reluctance is primarily due to the stigma surrounding mental illness in any form.
Minorities and Increased Health Risk
Self-Diagnosis vs. Munchausen Syndrome
Self-diagnosis of a disease, even if incorrect, is not the same thing asMunchausen syndrome. Munchausen syndrome, also known as factitious disorder imposed on self (FDIS), is a mental illness in which a person will deliberately manufacture, falsify, or exaggerate symptoms of an illness that does not exist.
FDIS is thought to be related to a personality disorder known asborderline personality disorder (BPD)which impacts a person’s ability to manage their emotions and can result in impulsive actions and issues with self-image. While fully aware of their actions, a person with FDIS seems unable to control their actions and may go so far as to hurt themselves in order to “evidence” their claims and gain the attention they crave.
FDIS is also not the same thing ashypochondria, a condition otherwise known as illness anxiety disorder (IAD). This occurs when a person has excessive fear about getting a major illness and will often convince themselves that an otherwise minor symptom is a sign of something severe.
The Connection Between Teens, Social Media, and Self-Diagnosis
As powerful a tool as social media can be, it inherently poses risks to those seeking health information. The main concern is that social media users are weaned on getting information in snippets, which is never a good place to start when researching health information.
Reliable consumer health sites aim to be concise but don’t “cut to the chase” and skip over vital pieces of information. Sites like Instagram, TikTok, and X are founded on cutting to the chase.
Because adolescents and teens are at an impressionable age, they can fall prey to misinformation from individuals who post things like “top 10 lists” of diseases trending among youth. The most common of these isADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).
According to a 2022 study in theCanadian Journal of Psychiatry,of the top 100 most popular videos about ADHD uploaded on TikTok, 52% were classified as misleading, while only 21% were considered useful.
Similar misinformation about autism, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder is widely disseminated on social media.
Self-Diagnosing vs. Munchausen Syndrome
How to Use Online Information Responsibly
Using health information online can be a positive thing. One study says online health information “is becoming an increasingly important component of health and disease management.”
Online health information is best used to:
You may find a lot of information online that you want to discuss with your provider. Presenting them with a huge packet of information at your appointment is unlikely to be helpful, though.
Instead, try to summarize it so you can cover the information in the small amount of time you’re allotted during appointments. Also, ask your provider whether you can exchange information between appointments via an online patient portal.
How to Choose Reputable Websites
Among the most important things to keep in mind is that you should only look for health information on reputable websites. A little knowledge can help you weed out the ones that are best avoided.
When possible, go to websites from:
Large health-related websites can offer a wealth of information, but they’re not all created equal. Some things to look for include:
Some online information is too general, while some sites get bogged down in medical jargon. Try to find those that explain medical terminology and make the information easy to understand.
Summary
Most people today look for health information online. However, when the Internet is used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment, it can expose people to inaccurate information and treatments that may not only be ineffective but potentially harmful.
When searching the Internet for health information, only use reliable websites from government agencies, reputable medical centers, universities, professional organizations, and advocacy groups. On large consumer health sites, look for HON Code certification which ensures quality standards.
14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Finney Rutten LJ, Blake KD, Greenberg-Worisek AJ, Allen SV, Moser RP, Hesse BW.Online health information seeking among US adults: Measuring progress toward a Healthy People 2020 objective.Public Health Rep. 2019;134(6):617-625. doi:10.1177/0033354919874074
Mendes TB, Dawwon J, Sigalove SE, et al.Wikipedia in health professional schools: from an opponent to an ally.Med Sci Educ.2021 Dec;31(6):2209–2216. doi:10.1007/s40670-021-01408-6
Yeung A, Ng E, Abi-Jaoude E.TikTok and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a cross-sectional study of social media content quality.Can J Psychiatry.2022 Dec;67(12):899–906. doi:10.1177/07067437221082854
Rasmussen University.Are you really dying? Discovering the dangers of self-diagnosis.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Traditional Chinese medicine: what you need to know.
Wang X, Cohen RA.Health information technology use among adults: United States, July–December 2022.NCHS Data Brief No. 482. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics; 2023. doi:10.15620/cdc:133700
Pew Research Center.Profiles of health information seekers.
Van Meter AR, Birnbaum ML, Rizvi A, Kane JM.Online help-seeking prior to diagnosis: can web-based resources reduce the duration of untreated mood disorders in young people?J Affect Disord.2019 Jun 1;252:130–134. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.04.019
Rutter LA, Howard J,, Lakhan P, Valdes D, Bollen J, Lorenzo-Luaces L.“I haven’t been diagnosed, but I should be”—insight into self-diagnoses of common mental health disorders: cross-sectional study.JMIR Form Res.2023;7:e39206. doi:10.2196/39206
Alhusseini N, Banta JE, Oh J, Montgomery S.Understanding the use of electronic means to seek personal health information among adults in the United States.Cureus.2020 Oct;12(10):e11190. doi:10.7759/cureus.11190
Caselli I, Poloni N, Ielmini M, Diurni M, Callegari C.Epidemiology and evolution of the diagnostic classification of factitious disorders inDSM-5.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2017;10:387–394. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S153377
Lazzari C, Rabottini M.Comorbidity between factitious and borderline personality disorder: a narrative analysis.Psychiatr Danub.2023 Spring;35(1):16-26. doi:10.24869/psyd.2023.16
Scarella TM, Boland RJ, Barsky AJ.Illness anxiety disorder: psychopathology, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and treatment.Psychosom Med. 2019;81(5):398-407. doi:10.1097/psy.0000000000000691
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
