(UK) Govt report blames 'rising stress' among young people for more ASD/ADHD diagnoses
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
“Institutional incentives” could be one of the factors behind a rise in rates of autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a Government-commissioned review suggests. Experts said diagnosis is “increasingly being used to secure support”, and that education systems are “not merely responding to diagnosis, but are also shaping demand for it”.
In December, the Government launched a review into ADHD, autism and mental health services to examine rising demand for services. Now experts have reported on their initial findings, highlighting how “rising distress” among younger people appears to be one of the factors behind an increase in demand for services.
They also highlighted a “medicalisation of distress” which can lead to a diagnosis being the “main route of support”, even when alternative responses may be more appropriate. The authors of the review said: “Historical analyses show that behaviours in children once regarded as within the range of normal variation, or even as something to be welcomed in some contexts, are now more often interpreted as requiring intervention or treatment.”
They added that there is a “risk that a wide range of difficulties – particularly those arising from social, educational or environmental pressures – may increasingly be interpreted primarily through a medical lens”. But they said that rising rates of diagnosis for ADHD and autism “does not necessarily mean rising prevalence” of the conditions.
Instead, the increase in diagnoses could be influenced by “improved recognition, changes in help-seeking behaviour, evolving social patterns, and the possibility that under-recognition may persist in parts of the population”, they said. But the academics behind the review stressed that “the current position cannot be explained by a single narrative”.
They conclude: “In some areas — particularly among younger people — there is credible evidence of increasing psychological distress. In others, notably ADHD and autism, rising diagnoses and referrals appear to exceed changes in underlying epidemiological prevalence and are likely to reflect a combination of improved recognition, changing help-seeking behaviour, institutional incentives and pressures within existing service pathways.
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