ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1627885
This article is part of the Research TopicDigital Health Literacy as a Pathway to Better Mental Well-beingView all 7 articles
Videos in short video sharing platforms as a source of information on bipolar disorder: A cross-sectional content analysis study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Lanzhou, China
- 2Yan'an University School of Medicine, yanan, Xian, China
- 3Qiqihar Medical College, Qiqihar, China
- 4Gansu Provincial People's Hospital, Lanzhou, China
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Background: Bipolar disorder is a prevalent mental health issue characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. With the rise of short video sharing platforms, there is an urgent need to evaluate the quality and reliability of the medical information disseminated regarding this disorder. Objective: This study aimed to assess the quality and reliability of videos related to bipolar disorder available on popular Chinese short video platforms, including TikTok, Kwai, Bilibili, WeChat, Xiaohongshu, and Baidu. Methods: A cross-sectional content analysis was conducted in May 2025, using keywords related to bipolar disorder to retrieve relevant videos from selected platforms. The quality of the videos was evaluated using multiple standardized assessment tools, including the JAMA Benchmarking Criteria, GQS, modified DISCERN, PEMAT, and HONCODE. Results: Significant differences in video quality and audience engagement metrics were observed across platforms. TikTok and Kwai had higher quality scores, while WeChat resulted in more comments. Most videos were created by medical professionals, although independent users also contributed content. Overall, video quality was inconsistent and not necessarily correlated with engagement metrics, highlighting the necessity for improved standards in disseminating health-related information on social media. Conclusions: On Chinese short video platforms, clinical practitioners are the main creators of bipolar disorder-related content, but their scientific nature, production quality, and information transparency still need to be improved. It is suggested to improve the platform management, creator training, and algorithm optimization, so as to promote the improvement of public mental health literacy.
Keywords: Bipolar Disorder, Short videos, health information, quality and reliability assessment, Content Analysis
Received: 13 May 2025; Accepted: 24 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Qi, Lu, Li, Liu, Zhang, Xiang, Wang and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Qilong Wang, wade200023@outlook.com
Dongrong Zhao, 13919131767@163.com
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.