Navigating ADHD Assessment and Diagnosis in the Social Media Era

In the era of social media and artificial intelligence (AI), it is increasingly common for patients to present with diagnostic concerns based on information they’ve encountered online. 

In this video, Psych Congress Elevate New & Emerging voice Taylor Crews, PMHNP-BC, explores how clinicians can navigate these conversations with patients in the context of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Crews first highlights the importance of offering patients a supportive environment for their concerns to be heard and acknowledged. She also underscores how comprehensive clinical assessment and clinician knowledge of ADHD presentations across the lifespan can ensure patients receive accurate information, evidence-based care, and the right diagnosis to guide their treatment.

For more expert insights, visit the ADHD Learning Library.

• When patients present information on ADHD from social media or AI platforms, clinicians should listen to their concerns without automatically accepting or dismissing a suggested diagnosis and use the information as a starting point for further assessment.
• Symptom checklists can support screening and identify areas for further exploration, but diagnosis should consider the patient’s broader clinical picture rather than symptoms alone.
• Clinician confidence when discussing ADHD with patients of all ages may encourage patients to seek professional assessment rather than relying solely on social media or brief online evaluations.

Taylor Crews, PMHNP-BC: Hi, I'm Taylor Crews. I'm coming to you from Charleston, South Carolina with Sweetgrass Psychiatry. 

I work in private practice currently, but I have worked across a broad range of patient populations, starting in inpatient care, then community mental health, long-term care, and now landing in private practice. I am also passionate about getting mental health information out to our patients and communities, and I run a social media platform called Noble Mind Collective.

Psych Congress NP Institute: How can clinicians approach conversations with patients who present with diagnostic concerns based on information from social media or other online sources?

Crews: It started out several years ago. I noticed people were coming to me and asking about a video they saw. It was usually TikTok.

Now I didn't have TikTok at the time, so I had no idea. Then I went on TikTok, I got an account so I could figure out what was going on, and I realized it's not just TikTok. It's every social media platform. 

As my patients were bringing this up to me, I was gaining more insight, and I realized that all my patients needed to know is that I was going to listen to them. They wanted to know that I was going to listen to them, not discount what they were saying, but also give them more information and give them more time to really explore [ADHD as a diagnosis]. They are genuinely curious, and you don't have to take that as pressure to give them the diagnosis they want, you just have to take that as data and information that you can help them explore to help them find the right diagnosis and understand that it's not as simple as a short video online.

I also want to add that AI has added another level to this now, even more recently, where people will put their symptoms into an AI platform and then it will give them information on that and perhaps a diagnosis. That's another thing where I kind of have to give my patients again the space to listen and hear them and consider that of course their concerns are valid, but also for them to consider the source and trust me enough to hear me hear my opinion and go through that assessment process as well.

PCNPI: What key takeaway do you hope clinicians remember about diagnosing and treating ADHD across the lifespan, particularly in the social media era?

Crews: I really want providers to go beyond just a symptom checklist for assessing and diagnosing ADHD.

I think that a symptom checklist is great for screening and knowing what more you want to explore with your patient, but it's not enough. I think that we [should] remember that we need to not just look at a list of symptoms, we need to look at the whole picture of our patient. So that would be the one that I hope people take away the most.

I also hope that people through confidence will be more comfortable talking about ADHD with patients through the lifespan, not just children.

Remember that if you're confident in what you know, then the patient trusts you, and the patient is going to come to you when they are struggling with these symptoms versus staying on the internet or on social media or going for a quick 20-minute online assessment where medication might be prescribed too quickly. 

Your confidence will draw them in to come to you, an expert. So, that's what I hope people will gain [from this conversation].

Thank you for joining me today. I hope that this helps you to gain confidence in understanding ADHD and being a very strong resource for your patients so that we continue to help as many people as we can.

Taylor Crews, PMHNP-BC, is a psychiatric nurse practitioner specializing in the treatment of a broad range of mental health conditions and complex psychosocial challenges. Her nursing background provides her with a unique and valuable practice style rooted in compassion and understanding. Throughout her psychiatric nursing career, Taylor has pursued opportunities in diverse practice settings and across the lifespan. Her professional experience includes providing psychiatric care in community settings, outpatient clinics, inpatient hospitals, and long-term care facilities. She utilizes training in multiple treatment modalities, including group and individual psychotherapy, trauma-focused therapy, crisis intervention, psychoeducation, and advanced medication management.

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