To assess the quality and reliability of information about antidepressant-related content on the social media platforms Instagram and TikTok, two platforms widely used by adolescents and young adults.

A cross-sectional analysis of 200 French-language posts (100 from each platform) was conducted using the DISCERN scale, along with additional measures for accuracy, promotion of adherence and audience. The evaluations were performed by three independent evaluators. Descriptive and univariate analyses were carried out to compare the characteristics of information between the two media platforms according to author qualification.

The overall quality was rated as “fair” (DISCERN score = 32.0 ± 10.5) with health professionals providing significantly higher quality, more reliable, more accurate, and more likely to promote adherence than non-health professionals. Overall, 23.5% of posts contained misinformation and 33.5% discouraged treatment adherence. The main topics addressed were the effectiveness of antidepressants (27.3%) and their adverse effects (23.9%), with the most common being weight gain, withdrawal syndrome, and sexual dysfunction.

This exploratory study suggests an unsatisfactory quality of information about antidepressants available on Instagram and TikTok, with a worrying proportion of misinformation. These findings highlight the importance of developing initiatives to improve the visibility and dissemination of reliable, evidence-based health information on social media.