YouTube is updating the way it displays search results for health-related queries, adding a section dedicated to patient personal stories.

In a statement, YouTube said it is making this change in response to how people search for videos related to health conditions.

“People often don’t come to YouTube with health questions,” says YouTube. “Instead, they are asking human questions. How do we deal with this?”

Search patterns on YouTube show that people with chronic health conditions don’t always come to the site for information. They seek support from others who are going through the same thing.

“…they were all working on the same human element. We helped each other through things. The need for connection and belonging is universal, and the data proves The science of peer support shows that social ties have a positive impact on both physical and mental health.

YouTube Personal Stories Shelf

To encourage the type of connection people seek, YouTube is launching a shelf of personal stories in search results.

When you search for topics related to a health condition, YouTube returns a carousel of videos of people sharing personal stories about the condition.

As you can see in the example below, your Personal Stories shelf is interspersed with other search results.

Screenshot: https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/answering-the-human-questions-on-your-healthcare-journey/, September 2022.

In order for a video to be eligible to appear on the shelves, it must focus on a personal, authentic and lived experience related to a specific physical or mental health condition.

Promotional content, or content that disseminates misinformation, will not be on the Personal Stories shelf.

According to YouTube, the Personal Stories shelf will first start rolling out for queries related to cancer and mental health topics such as anxiety and depression.

The Personal Stories shelf is available for US users, but YouTube plans to expand it to more markets and more types of queries.

sauce: Youtube
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