TikTok: a vehicle for misinformation but also community-building

By Martin LaSalle Mar 18th, 2026

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In 5 seconds An analysis of over 25,000 comments on TikTok videos provides insight into supporting people living with borderline personality disorder.

On TikTok, borderline personality disorder oscillates between confusion and deconstruction: caught between self-diagnoses fueled by misunderstood symptoms and personal stories that challenge the stigma, the platform has become both a source of ambiguity… and of hope.
Photo : Getty

Marie-Eve* doesn’t know what to think anymore. After years of trying to make sense of her intense emotional crises, she went on TikTok and typed #borderline in the search bar. After watching a few videos, she recognized herself in the dozens of comments posted by other viewers.

But is a borderline personality disorder (BPD) really what Marie-Eve is suffering from? Or could it perhaps be ADHD, or bipolar disorder, or autism spectrum disorder? That specific type of online experience is the focus of a recent study by Université de Montréal psychiatry resident Camille Thériault.

Supervised by Alexandre Hudon, an assistant clinical professor in UdeM's Department of Psychiatry and Addiction and researcher at the UdeM-affiliated Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Thériault's findings were recently published in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

With others on their research team, Thériault and Hudon analyzed thousands of comments posted in response to TikTok videos about BPD to explore how the disorder is perceived, experienced and discussed online.

Difficult to regulate

BPD is characterized by marked instability in emotions, self-image and interpersonal relationships. People with BPD experience intense emotions that are difficult to regulate, which can lead to impulsive behaviour, suicidal thoughts and chronic feelings of emptiness.

It is estimated that between 0.5 and 2.7 per cent of people, and up to 10 per cent of people in outpatient psychiatric care, live with BPD.

“BPD is a developmental disorder that emerges over time and reflects maladaptive responses to external events and interactions with others,” explained Hudon. “It is a biopsychosocial condition, meaning it can have a hereditary component but is also linked to environmental factors such as childhood trauma, unstable family life and insecure bonds with attachment figures.”

Research shows that a type of psychotherapy known as dialectical behaviour therapy can reduce the symptoms associated with BPD in nine out of 10 patients over a 10-year period. Nevertheless, persistent stigma—both in the general population and within the medical community—continues to delay access to care.

Camille Thériault, Université de Montréal psychiatry resident
Photo : Camille Thériault

Diagnostic confusion

To better understand how BPD is perceived outside of clinical settings, the UdeM research team drew on data from a previous study of approximately 1,000 TikTok videos related to mental health. Of these, 141 videos specifically addressed BPD and generated a total of 25,197 comments.

A thematic analysis of a representative sample of these comments identified eight recurring themes.

The most common was diagnostic confusion: hundreds of comments reflected the difficulty in distinguishing BPD from bipolar disorder, ADHD and autism spectrum disorder, all of which are characterized by some degree of emotional instability.

“In medical texts, these conditions overlap,” Hudon noted. “If it’s hard for professionals to untangle, imagine what it’s like for someone looking for information on TikTok.”

Unfortunately, this confusion fuels self-diagnosis.

“Internet users describe symptoms that they themselves have attributed to a specific disorder, and sometimes they even adjust their medications without consulting a doctor,” said Hudon. “While the quest to find answers is perfectly understandable, relying on social media carries real risks, including delaying appropriate treatment.”

Alexandre Hudon, professor in Université de Montréal's Department of Psychiatry and Addiction
Photo : Voltaic Photo

Fear of stigma

Another common theme in the TikTok comments was the stigma associated with BPD, which was reflected in a widespread fear of being reduced to a diagnosis and perceived as a burden.

Some people were reluctant to consult a professional because they dreaded having the label “BPD” attached to their file. This fear could keep them from engaging with the healthcare system and receiving proper treatment.

On the other hand, TikTok appears to be a space for challenging stereotypes. People living with BPD use the platform to counter simplistic portrayals of the disorder, particularly the notion that those affected are dangerous or manipulative. In this way, TikTok serves as an antidote to misinformation.

“Those who self-disclose hold up a mirror in which others can see themselves,” observed Hudon. “Recognizing oneself in a comment and finding a community is a form of peer support. It’s a dynamic that we as mental health professionals need to better understand and guide in order to avoid harm.”

Support to defuse crises

The study’s findings also highlight the protective role of social support.

Commenters described how a partner’s patience, a loved one’s listening or just the presence of an online community can defuse crises and encourage a person to seek help.

Conversely, the isolation caused by BPD is described as a vicious circle: emotional instability strains relationships, which in turn increases the distress.

For Hudon, the study’s findings have clear implications for clinical practice and medical training.

“Since 2022, UdeM’s Faculty of Medicine has been exploring how future doctors can demystify medicine,” he said. “There is a strong demand for medical information explained in lay terms. With so much confusion about mental health on social media, we have an even greater responsibility to go where the patients are, including TikTok.”

Hudon and researchers in his lab are now following up on their study by exploring how digital platforms could be used to spot warning signs such as suicidal comments, and direct individuals in crisis to the appropriate resources.

* Not her real name.

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