Gemma Collins blasted for promoting headset as ‘magic’ cure for depression

Gemma Collins has been criticised by her followers for using misleading wording in an advert for a “medication free” headset, which is apparently used to treat depression.

The TV star and presenter, 42, who is best known for appearing in realty series The Only Way Is Essex, shared a video of her wearing the Flow Neuroscience Headset, telling her followers that she had been using the product for one week and was already feeling “lighter” and “brighter”.

In the caption she wrote: “According to Flow’s data it reduces depression in 88 per cent of people. And the NHS are trialling it too.”

She finished the caption with “#ad” to indicate that she was asked to promote the product. The Independent has contacted Collins’ representatives about the terms of the advert.

In the video, Collins told the camera the product is “literally amazing”.

“I am loving life now off of my depression tablets. This has been a real game changer for me,” she said.

According to Flow, the headset sends a “small electrical current” to “the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex”, which causes “neurons to fire more frequently, strengthening the neural pathways in the prefrontal cortex”.

Collins continued: “Flow is a new medically approved depression treatment. It focuses on the front cortex of your brain. This ultimately helps you to relax and it also helps to remove negative depressive symptoms.”

“For people that can’t get access to therapy, or don’t want to be on antidepressants, they have a new option which is Flow.”

“Flow actually works faster and better than antidepressants,” she claimed in the video. “It’s like having your own therapist in the comfort your own home and you’re fully in control of your own treatment.”

She concluded that using Flow would be “the best thing you do”.

Social media users have been criticising Collins’ messaging in the post, arguing that she is promoting the product as a “quick fix” for depression and encouraging people to stop their medications without first consulting a medical professional.

“People PLEASE speak to your medical team before stopping any medications,” one person urged in the comments section.

Another pleaded to Collins: “Please don’t promote people just abruptly coming off their medication !!”

Others remarked that Collins had not linked to any scientific research to support her claims, or given insight into how the product actually works.

A representative for Flow Neuroscience told The Independent that it is “very clear” on its website that anyone with depression should “always speak to their doctor first before trying new treatment”.

The statement continued: “At a time when society is attempting to remove the stigma associated with mental health – people like Gemma are helping enormously by being open and transparent about their own mental health journey.”

“Gemma has struggled for years on antidepressants, and it’s brilliant that she is now having this positive experience using Flow.”

The spokesperson added that Collins’ posts are a “reflection of her own personal experience” and the post had not been “edited or scripted” by Flow.

Collins has previously said that the side effects of using antidepressants have not worked for her, which drew her to using the headset.

Flow’s spokesperson also said that the company’s mission is trying to “increase accessibility” to mental health treatments.

At present, the headset does not require a prescription before use and is available to purchase online.

The company says that “83 per cent of its users reported improvement in their symptoms within 21 days” and that less than two per cent of its users on its database reported minor side effects, which are “typically mild irritation of the kind and mild headaches”.

It added: “We believe the Flow platform is an important tool in this process, but it has never been our intent to present Flow as a quick fix or magic bullet.”