Ep 09: Cultural Trends and Mental Health

In this episode of the Personality Couch Podcast, we discuss four trends we have observed in the post-pandemic world: collective trauma, mental health diagnoses as identity labels, over-identification with neurodivergence, and self-diagnosing. We explore the impact of the pandemic on mental health, including increased anxiety and hostility. We also discuss how mental health diagnoses have become identity labels, providing a sense of validation and belonging. We delve into the over-identification with neurodivergence, particularly autism, and the challenges of diagnosing this condition. Lastly, we address the issue of self-diagnosing and the proliferation of misleading information on social media platforms.

Articles Podcast References

On Healthcare Workers’ Mental Health Symptoms:

• https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2023/02/06/phw-violence/

On TikTok Mental Health Misinformation:

• https://www.mmm-online.com/home/channel/nearly-84-of-mental-health-videos-on-tiktok-are-misleading-study/
• https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/psychiatry-on-tiktok-providing-education-to-teens-in-an-ethical-manner
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/social-media-mental-health-self-diagnosis/
• https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/new-study-information-on-youtube-tiktok-on-did
• https://www.salon.com/2022/04/09/why-teens-are-self-diagnosing-on-tiktok/