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Publication
Autodiagnóstico em Saúde Mental por Meios Digitais
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| 1.2 MB | Adobe PDF |
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Abstract(s)
Este estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar uma amostra 203 adultos da população portuguesa (148 mulheres e 55 homens) em relação ao autodiagnóstico em saúde mental e a diversos fatores relevantes, procurando também obter um modelo explicativo sobre a utilização de meios digitais para esse tipo de autodiagnóstico.
Em termos gerais, os resultados indicaram que, embora a maioria dos participantes não recorra regularmente ao autodiagnóstico através de meios digitais, uma proporção significativa já utilizou websites especializados, redes sociais ou ferramentas baseadas em IA com esse fim. As principais motivações referidas foram a facilidade de acesso à informação e a ausência de custos associados. Os efeitos emocionais percebidos foram, em geral, neutros ou positivos, embora uma minoria tenha reportado aumento de ansiedade. Cerca de metade dos participantes procurou apoio profissional após o autodiagnóstico, sugerindo que essa prática pode, em alguns casos, atuar como facilitador do acesso a cuidados formais em saúde mental. Fatores como ser do sexo feminino, maior tempo de uso de internet aos fins de semana, confiança mais elevada em ferramentas de IA para autodiagnóstico e perceção de barreiras no acesso a apoio profissional foram associados a maior propensão a utilizar meios digitais para autodiagnóstico em saúde mental.
Este estudo destaca o papel crescente das tecnologias digitais no comportamento de autodiagnóstico em saúde mental, evidenciando a necessidade de políticas públicas, estratégias educativas e diretrizes clínicas que orientem o uso informado, ético e responsável dessas ferramentas no contexto dos cuidados em saúde mental.
This study aimed to characterize a sample of 203 Portuguese adults (148 women and 55 men) regarding selfdiagnosis in mental health and various related factors, also seeking to develop an explanatory model for the use of digital media in this type of self-assessment. Overall, the results indicated that, although most participants do not regularly engage in self-diagnosis through digital means, a significant proportion have used specialized websites, social media platforms, or AI-based tools for this purpose. The main motivations reported were the ease of access to information and the absence of associated costs. The perceived emotional effects were generally neutral or positive, although a minority reported increased anxiety. Approximately half of the participants sought professional support following their self-diagnosis, suggesting that this practice may, in some cases, serve as a facilitator for accessing formal mental health care. Factors such as being female, increased weekend internet use, greater trust in AI tools for self-diagnosis, and perceived barriers to professional support were associated with a higher likelihood of using digital media for mental health self-diagnosis. This study highlights the growing role of digital technologies in mental health self-diagnosis behavior, underscoring the need for public policies, educational strategies, and clinical guidelines to support the informed, ethical, and responsible use of such tools within the mental health care context.
This study aimed to characterize a sample of 203 Portuguese adults (148 women and 55 men) regarding selfdiagnosis in mental health and various related factors, also seeking to develop an explanatory model for the use of digital media in this type of self-assessment. Overall, the results indicated that, although most participants do not regularly engage in self-diagnosis through digital means, a significant proportion have used specialized websites, social media platforms, or AI-based tools for this purpose. The main motivations reported were the ease of access to information and the absence of associated costs. The perceived emotional effects were generally neutral or positive, although a minority reported increased anxiety. Approximately half of the participants sought professional support following their self-diagnosis, suggesting that this practice may, in some cases, serve as a facilitator for accessing formal mental health care. Factors such as being female, increased weekend internet use, greater trust in AI tools for self-diagnosis, and perceived barriers to professional support were associated with a higher likelihood of using digital media for mental health self-diagnosis. This study highlights the growing role of digital technologies in mental health self-diagnosis behavior, underscoring the need for public policies, educational strategies, and clinical guidelines to support the informed, ethical, and responsible use of such tools within the mental health care context.
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Keywords
Autodiagnóstico Saúde Mental Redes Sociais Inteligência Artificial Literacia em Saúde Mental Adultos