Assessing the Effect of Evidence-Based Mental Health Social Media Videos on Youth Emotional Support Competencies: A “Creator-Engaged” Approach

Previous research raises the possibility that exposing young people to videos from social media content creators that promote evidence-based mental health information may improve mental health outcomes. While previous field experimental research has increased the supply of evidence-based information on a platform like TikTok or Instagram, less work considers how exposure to that information might influence mental health outcomes. In a large (N = 1,000) and demographically representative survey of young people in the US aged 14-22, we report the results of a pre-registered survey experiment that assesses the effects of evidence-based messaging on perceived and objective emotional support competencies. Using a “creator-engaged” approach, we partnered with a lifestyle influencer to create realistic control (pre-evidence-based content training) and treatment (post-training) videos that hold many design elements constant. We find that treatment exposure significantly increases both perceived and objective abilities to provide emotional support. Our results suggest that creator partnership programs can promote positive mental health outcomes via social media.