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Youngsters 'incentivised' to get ADHD and autism diagnoses
Experts say diagnosis is increasingly used to secure support as demand for autism and ADHD services rises and UK ADHD drug use climbs fastest in Europe.
- A government-commissioned review found young people are being "incentivised" to seek ADHD diagnoses to secure support, with diagnosis increasingly used as a gateway to care even when other interventions might be appropriate.
- Experts identified "institutional incentives and pressures within existing service pathways" alongside "changing help-seeking behaviour" and "improved recognition" as primary drivers of rising demand for ADHD diagnoses and support.
- While prevalence estimates remain "relatively stable," diagnoses and service demand "have increased substantially," with the review noting particularly rapid growth in identified ADHD need within educational systems, including among girls.
- Professor Peter Fonagy, chair of the review at University College London, said the support system must be "more proportionate, more responsive and less dependent on diagnosis alone," while stressing diagnosis remains essential for many.
- The Department of Health and Social Care committed to building "a system that is fair and works for everyone, with a focus on early intervention," though The National Autistic Society warned the review risks fuelling an "increasingly polarised debate.
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8 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources8
Leaning Left0Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution83% Center
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources are Center
83% Center
C 83%
R 17%
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