Telepsychology and digital mental health communication: an exploratory mixed-methods study of tikTok content
Abstract
Background: Telepsychology consolidated as a mainstream mental health care modality following the COVID-19 pandemic, supported by evidence of clinical efficacy comparable to in-person therapy and a recognized potential to democratize access to care. Against this evolving clinical landscape, social media platforms have simultaneously emerged as major environments for the public circulation of psychological knowledge.
Objective: To explore the relationship between scientific evidence on telepsychology and its discursive representation in highly viewed Spanish-language TikTok content, and to identify implications for digital mental health literacy and professional communication practices.
Methods: An exploratory mixed-methods design with qualitative emphasis integrated a scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) across Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed (2020-2025; n = 39 articles) and an inductive thematic analysis of TikTok content (N = 50 videos; 1,286,360 total views). Searches were conducted from a newly created TikTok account with no prior interaction history, configured in Colombia, to reduce algorithmic personalization bias. Three exploratory corpus-descriptive indicators-the Telepsychology Gap Index (TGI), Digital Telepsychology Legitimacy Index (DTLI), and Simplified Circulation Index (SCI)-were computed as heuristic comparators.
Results: The scientific literature consistently supported the clinical viability and democratizing potential of telepsychology. Within the TikTok corpus,…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid. Reported size: 50 participants or records.
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