Between Credibility and Misinformation: How Young Adults Navigate Sexual and Mental Health Content on Social Media
Published 2026-08-11
Keywords
- Social Media; Sexual Health; Mental Health; Digital Literacy; Young Adults; Qualitative Research
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2026 Germano Couto, Isabel de Jesus Oliveira, Maria Teresa Moreira, Maria do Perpétuo S. S. Nóbrega
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Introduction
As part of a second study within a broader research project grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model, this qualitative study explored how young adults navigate, assess, and use sexual- and mental-health information encountered on social media, examining the perceived impacts on behaviors, emotional well-being and peer support.
Objective
To explore how young adults evaluate, interpret, and use sexual- and mental-health information encountered on social media, examining credibility assessment, perceived behavioral and emotional effects, self-regulation strategies, and peer-support dynamics.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven young adults aged 18–30. Data were analyzed using Bardin’s content analysis framework, following pre-analysis, systematic coding and interpretative categorization.
Results
Participants reported daily social media use and frequent exposure to content on anxiety, sleep hygiene, consent, sexually transmitted infection prevention and contraceptive practices. Credibility was judged through professional credentials, the presence of references, linguistic tone and triangulation across sources. While high-quality content encouraged protective behaviors, such as consistent condom use, scheduling sexually transmitted infection testing and adopting coping strategies, misinformation triggered verification behaviors, unfollowing, or reporting posts. Social media exerted ambivalent effects on mental health: short-term relief coexisted with increased anxiety, comparison pressure, and sleep disruption.
Conclusion
The findings indicate that the impact of social media depends less on exposure and more on the perceived credibility of content and the digital competencies of users. Interventions aiming to improve youth sexual and mental health should integrate evidence-based content creation, inclusive communication, and targeted digital literacy training.