An advert posted by TV personality Gemma Collins on Instagram for a headset that’s marketed as a treatment for depression has been banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the ad, posted in May 2023, encouraged people “to take treatment for depression into their own hands” by purchasing the £400 device.
“I’m off my depression tablets and this has been a real game changer for me,” the reality star said in the video, saying the headset “works faster and better than antidepressants”.
The ASA ruled the video went against one of its rules – that any UK advert must not “discourage essential treatment for which medical supervision should be sought”.
The ad has since been deleted.
In the text accompanying the video, Collins wrote that people experiencing depression should “consult your GP always without fail” and “do not stop taking your medication before consulting your GP”.
However, the ASA deemed this “insufficient to satisfy the requirement of the Code that ads must not offer treatment for depression unless that treatment was conducted under the supervision of a suitably qualified health professional”.
The device’s manufacturer Flow Neuroscience says it works by stimulating brain activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the front of the brain, an area linked with depression.
Responding to the ruling, a spokesperson for the company told the BBC that “depression must, without question, be treated responsibly, and people must seek advice from a healthcare professional before seeking treatment”.
“We endeavour to make this clear in all of our communications and will continue to do so.”
They added: “We have spoken to Gemma following the feedback that it was not clear enough that a healthcare professional should be involved in treatment, and her posts have been removed.”
A spokesperson for Gemma Collins has been contacted by the BBC.
If you are experiencing emotional stress, sources of help and support are available via the BBC Action Line.
