‘Distressed’ children at risk of overdiagnosis as ADHD and autism cases rocket but true rate is flat, major review finds

DIAGNOSIS of ADHD and autism has rocketed but the conditions are not actually more common, a major government review has ruled. It said modern life is more stressful for children and teenagers but they are at risk of being over-diagnosed. The 400-page report, ordered by former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, said: “The line between the social and the medical is beginning to blur.” Review chair Professor Peter Fonagy, from University College London, said young people should get help for what they actually need instead of what they are diagnosed with. Many are in real distress but cannot get help, he added. Prof Fonagy said: “If we just lock ourselves into the only important thing being whether my child has a diagnosis, then we overlook problems that could be managed far better. Read more on mental health “We lose the perspective of the whole child. “Autistic traits are present in everyone and adjustments to those should be forthcoming.” Prof Sir Simon Wessely, of King’s College London, added: “Probably one of the main harms of diagnosis is that it labels you as not being able to do something that you actually might be able to do.” Research found “little evidence of a substantial change” in the true rates of ADHD or autism spectrum disorder since 2000, the report said. Most read in Health But official diagnoses of ADHD have surged from less than 0.5 per cent to three or four per cent during the same time. About one per cent of young people are thought to have autism but recorded rates rocketed to more than four per cent. Prof Wessely said: “There has been large under-diagnosis in these areas for some time now, but we’re moving away from that into a kind of tipping point.” Experts said part of the reason rates are rising is that families often cannot get help without a formal diagnosis, making it a necessary “gateway”. The review said mental distress has “increased substantially” and parents, schools and doctors must focus on real problems instead of labels. It said children may be suffering because, on average, they spend less time with other people and more time online. They sleep, play and exercise less, and have less down time than previous generations, it added. Schoolwork is more demanding and breaks are shorter, and older teenagers worry about jobs and housing, it added. Prof Fonagy said: “There is a lack of hope amongst young people that their lives will be better than their parents, and that’s the first time since the Second World War.” The review called for investment in youth services and a “needs-led” NHS and school support system instead of a focus on diagnosing conditions. The Department of Health said it will help kids get help earlier and overhaul NHS services. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “It is clear that mental health services need to change to focus more on the early support young people need to stay in education or work to keep their lives on track.”