Young people and children are being encouraged to seek a diagnosis of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), experts have said.
In the findings of the government-run review, they suggested that diagnosis “is increasingly being used to secure support”, even when other responses may be more appropriate.
Demand for autism and ADHD services has increased Britain has the fastest rise in ADHD drug use in all of Europe.
But the review – launched in December – warned that more diagnoses does not mean greater prevalence of any condition and said many of the behaviors interpreted as requiring treatment were once considered normal.
Estimates of how many people have ADHD or autism are “relatively stable”, but diagnosis, self-identification and service demand “have increased substantially”.
Its authors warn of a “risk that a wide range of difficulties – particularly those arising from social, educational or environmental pressures – may be interpreted primarily through a medical lens”.
Although there is “credible evidence of increased psychological distress”, particularly among young people, a number of factors are likely to play a role.
These include “institutional incentives and pressures within existing service pathways”, “changes in help-seeking behaviour”, and “improved recognition” of symptoms.
The review states, “In autism, the evidence points to a particularly rapid increase in needs identified within educational systems, including increased identification among girls and young people without learning disabilities.”
Read more from Sky News:
Heart disease patients will get Vegovi
Woods issues first statement after crash
Professor Peter Fonagy, a clinical psychologist at University College London and chair of the review, said the support system should be “more proportionate, more responsive and less reliant on diagnosis alone”.
“This does not mean abandoning the diagnosis,” he said, writing in The Times.
“For many people, this is essential – for understanding, for healing, for access to help.
“But it does mean being more precise about what the diagnosis is for and what it is not for.”
Charity warns of ‘polarized debate’
The review’s findings were welcomed by the Mental Health Foundation, which said “psychological distress and suffering is increasing” and supported calls for a “bold, prevention-first approach”.
However, the National Autistic Society warned that the review risked fueling an “increasingly polarized debate”, with “too much focus (…) being placed on questioning people’s motivations for seeking a diagnosis”.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said it launched the review “precisely because we know that too many people are not getting the support they need”.
“We are committed to creating a system that is fair and works for everyone, with a focus on early intervention,” he said after the final report’s recommendations were released.
