The role of social media influencers in promoting mental health among university students: TikTok as a model

El-Naggar, Lamis Metwally; Yousry, Hala El-Sayed

doi:10.21608/ejsc.2025.449464

The role of social media influencers in promoting mental health among university students: TikTok as a model

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ * Assistant Lecturer, Department of Journalism, Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University

² Assistant Lecturer, Department of Public Relations and Advertising, Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University.

10.21608/ejsc.2025.449464

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the role of social media influencers in promoting the concept of mental health among university youth, with TikTok selected as a case study. The research focused on examining the nature of psychological messages delivered by influencers and the extent of their impact on students’ awareness and behavior, emphasizing the role such content plays in spreading concepts of emotional support and psychological balance.
The study adopted a descriptive analytical approach by conducting a field survey through an online questionnaire targeting a sample of 400 students from Cairo University. Additionally, it employed semantic analysis of TikTok video content related to mental health,
The findings revealed that 79.8% of respondents have an active TikTok account. Usage purposes varied between entertainment (35.9%), learning and self-development (16.7%), and following influencers and social content (16.7%)Despite the positive interaction with this type of content, 55.4% of participants indicated that the information presented is not always accurate or reliable, while 37.3% believed that the influence of mental health influencers can sometimes surpass that of family and friends. Semantic analysis showed that the most commonly used terms revolved around self-motivation, overcoming stress, and inner peace,
The study concluded that it is essential to improve the quality and credibility of mental health content on digital platforms and to activate the role of academic and media institutions in producing and guiding this content. This would contribute to promoting mental health awareness among university students and reduce reliance on unverified sources in addressing sensitive psychological issues.

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