Am I neurodivergent? The influence of social media and peer interactions on self-diagnosis.

Abstract

In recent years self-diagnosis of neurodiversity has become more common among youth. One of the groups affected by this, university students. This study explores how Dutch university students go about the process of diagnosing themselves with things like ADHD and autism. Specifically looking at the influences of social media and peer connections on this process. Very little is known about this topic, so this study aims to create a deeper understanding of this process. To do this, five semi-structured interviews were conducted with students aged 24 to 25 who had diagnosed themselves with a form of neurodiversity. These interviews were then coded and analysed. Participants generally went through a process of being dismissed by a healthcare professional, after which they got more information on neurodiversity through either social media or talking with peers. In this process an important factor for most participants was getting validation for what they were experiencing and not feeling alone in what they were going through. They were able to gather practical resources to use through peers who had a similar diagnosis, or through content creators on social media that they related to. What was clear was that peer influences and social media work together and fill in for each other to create an environment in which the participants could explore their identities.