Evaluating the Efficacy and Reliability of YouTube Videos on Depression in Children and Adolescents
Adolescent Psychiatry, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.2174/0122106766401975251204185032
- Dergi Adı: Adolescent Psychiatry
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Pharma Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Adolescent, childhood, depression, mental health, psychiatrists, YouTube
- Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the reliability, quality, and usefulness of Turkish-language YouTube videos related to childhood and adolescent depression and to examine potential differences across upload sources and content categories. Methods: On August 25th, 2024, YouTube was systematically searched using predefined Turkish keywords concerning childhood and adolescent depression. A total of 57 videos meeting the inclusion criteria for length, relevance, language, and audiovisual quality were analyzed. Two independent raters evaluated the videos using the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) tool, showing almost perfect inter-rater agreement (Cohen’s κ ≈ 0.88). Videos were categorized by uploader type and content themes. Statistical analyses included the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, independent samples t-test, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests, as well as chi-square or Fisher’s exact test for categorical comparisons. Results: Of all videos, 42.1% were uploaded by psychiatrists, 45.6% by other mental health professionals, and 12.3% by other sources. The median mDISCERN score was 3.0 (range: 1–5). Based on GQS, 50.9% were low, 38.6% medium, and 10.5% high quality. Videos from psychiatrists had significantly higher GQS and mDISCERN scores and contained less misinformation. Videos addressing treatment options were associated with higher reliability and quality, whereas those focusing on differential diagnosis had lower reliability but higher quality (p < 0.05). Discussion: Although overall reliability was satisfactory, video quality varied markedly across sources and topics, reflecting uneven informational standards. Conclusion: Turkish YouTube videos on childhood and adolescent depression are generally reliable but of limited quality. Content uploaded by psychiatrists was the most accurate and useful, emphasizing the need for mental health professionals’ active participation in digital health communication to improve public awareness and counter misinformation.