Exploring Problematic TikTok Use and Mental Health Issues: A Systematic Review of Empirical Studies

Background: Since its launch in 2017, TikTok has rapidly amassed over a billion active users. Its engaging features have raised concerns about potential problematic use and negative mental health outcomes. Despite increasing scholarly attention, a consolidated understanding of TikTok's problematic use potential and implications remains elusive. This systematic review synthesizes empirical research on problematic TikTok use and its impact on mental health. Methods: The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and conducted a comprehensive search across PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO up to July 10, 2024. Keywords covered TikTok use, addiction, and problematic use. Inclusion required empirical focus and publication in peer-reviewed journals. Data extraction included study characteristics, measures of problematic use, and mental health outcomes. Quality assessment used JBI, Cochrane's RoB 2, MMAT, CASP, and NOS tools. Protocol registered in OSF: https://osf.io/cjf97. Results: Twenty-six studies involving 11,462 participants were included. The pooled prevalence of TikTok use was 80.19%, with the highest rates among ages 18–29 (up to 85.4%). Frequent TikTok use was linked to increased anxiety and depression, particularly in users under 24. Female users were more likely to experience problematic use; 67.3% of problematic cases were among female university students. Higher addiction scores were noted among individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those with higher neuroticism. Conclusion: Problematic TikTok use poses growing mental health concerns, particularly for younger and vulnerable populations. Stakeholders should prioritize digital and media literacy in education, involve caregivers through guided mediation, and establish usage parameters to manage screen time. Longitudinal and interventional research is warranted.

Lakshit Jain, Luis Velez, Surya Karlapati, Mary Forand, Rajasekhar Kannali, Rao Ahmed Yousaf, Rizwan Ahmed, Zouina Sarfraz, Pearl A. Sutter, Christian Anthony Tallo, Saeed Ahmed