When Attention Disorder Becomes a TikTok Ad Topic

The pandemic has had significant consequences on the mental health of Generation Z, these young people born between 1997 and 2010, and very present on TikTok. Health companies are investing heavily in this market in the form of advertisements on the platform to sell drugs that treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. As Vox points out in an article on this subject. For example, Cerebral, one such company, spent $13 million on TikTok ads between January and May 2022. According to Pathmatics, making it the platform’s third largest ad buyer during that time, behind only Amazon and HBO.

a viral hashtag

On the social network, many users share their symptoms of what could be similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, through the hashtag #ADHDTikTok. ADHD is the English equivalent of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A disorder that, however, requires a full medical diagnosis and must be followed up.

TikTok videos using the #ADHD hashtag have been viewed more than 14 billion times, and the #ADHDTikTok hashtag more than 4 billion, Vox notes. There are also many “ADHD influencers” with thousands, if not millions, of followers. They usually post about what it’s like to live with this disorder, sharing tips and listing myriad symptoms. Problem, many of them are not health professionals and can give incorrect information.

Navigating the discomfort of some young people, companies such as Done or Cerebral offer 30-minute teleconsultations to diagnose whether or not the person may have ADHD. But investigations by Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal show that these companies are primarily looking to sell Adderall, a drug for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Bet on massive advertising

Cerebral relies heavily on TikTok algorithms and invests heavily in advertising on the platform to gain visibility. It comes through messages like “Did you ever think you might have ADHD?” Some advertisements suggest that symptoms, as common as difficulty multitasking, concentrating, and stress, as well as poor planning, procrastination, and disorganization, may be symptoms.

Done, for his part, spent $3.4 million on TikTok ads between January 2022 and the end of July and goes through the influencers he pays.

Exponential growth of these companies

How to explain the growth of these companies? Vox explains that during the “pandemic, the US government waived a rule that requires patients to see a healthcare professional in person before they can be prescribed a controlled substance. This allowed telehealth or virtual care were completely remote, prescribing medications, all through their mobile phone app. Some of these startups saw an opportunity: Cerebral, for example, added ADHD treatment to its offerings in early 2021 and, according to reportedly, he drove sales to tens of thousands of new patients, secured hundreds of millions of dollars in financing, and spent heavily on social media advertising.”

As a result, between early 2020 and late 2021, prescriptions for Adderall and its generic equivalents increased nearly 25% during the pandemic for the 22-44 age group, a trend that health analyst firm Trilliant Health attributed. . “The Emergence of Digital Mental Health Platforms”. At the same time, these drugs have experienced shortages.

The responsibility of the platforms

The second reason for this growth is that TikTok has no legal obligation to ensure the accuracy of what its users post. Unlike prescription drug manufacturers, a service like Cerebral has far fewer rules to follow.

However, last January, Cerebral posted an ad on social media associating eating disorders with attention deficit and anxiety disorders. The ad said obesity was “five times more common” in adults with ADHD, and that getting treatment for the mental health disorder could help patients “stop overeating.” Meta deleted the post, followed by TikTok two days later.

first setbacks

In the United States, large pharmacy chains no longer accept prescriptions from some of the larger ADHD telehealth services.

Shortly after the Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal articles were published, Cerebral announced that it was being investigated by the Department of Justice for possible violations of the Controlled Medications Act and a Federal Trade Commission investigation into its marketing practices. Cerebral has stopped prescribing controlled substances for ADHD to new patients.