Experts have warned that the ailing NHS risks being “overwhelmed” by a huge rise in self-diagnoses of ADHD and autism.
Professor Anthony David, director of the UCL Institute of Mental Health, said doctors had seen an increase in the number of Britons wanting a “sealed” diagnosis.
Trending apps that promise to help manage the condition and social media influencers who promote everyday problems as potential symptoms have also planted the seed for certain neuropsychiatric conditions, he said.
But increased self-diagnosis could also be harming those who need the most help, he argued.
Since 1998 there has been a nine-fold increase in autism diagnoses in the UK, with the biggest increase among adults, figures suggest.
Fascinating graphs show how prescriptions for ADHD have increased over time, with patient demographics shifting from children to adults, with women in particular now driving the rise.
TikTok creator Katie Sue lists some signs of ADHD including “mysterious bruises,” “looking like a flirt,” “having low self-esteem,” or “forgetting about food until it goes bad.”
The latest NHS data also shows a massive year-on-year increase in ADHD medication prescriptions.
Professor David said: ‘It’s a big and growing problem. There are people who, often as adults, have made their own decision about the diagnosis.’
He added: ‘And that has led to huge waiting lists. That’s why the system can’t cope with suddenly having people wanting to have an assessment.’
“Neurodivergence,” which means having an atypical mind, is a category primarily used to describe conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and Tourette syndrome.
writing in the diary Psychological Medicine With Dr Quinton Deeley, an expert in social behavior and neurodevelopment at King’s College London, they also argued that accounts of diagnoses in later life appear “frequently” in the press.
They said: ‘Take a middle-aged man who talks about his strong, narrow interests as a child and how he felt he was different from children his age growing up.
‘When he is older, he manages to channel these interests into an occupation and wins admirers for his ability to articulate them passionately, but comes into conflict for being uncompromising and “obsessive.”
“He then accepts a diagnosis of autism, into which his life story fits perfectly.
‘Explains’ their interests, attitudes and difficulties. You don’t have to feel at odds with the world in the same way.
They added: ‘It’s easy to appreciate the feeling of being (finally) understood and not being alone.
“However, it is unclear to what extent these feelings last and there is little research on this.”
It is estimated that around 700,000 Britons and 5.4 million adults in the United States have a diagnosis of autism.
According to a 2021 Newcastle University study, around one in 57 (1.76 per cent) children in the UK are on the spectrum.
While NICE guidance states that no one should wait more than three months between being referred and being seen for the first time, the latest NHS figures show that more than 80,000 people have been waiting longer.
TV presenters Melanie Sykes, Chris Packham and Christine McGuinness are among the celebrities who have shared their diagnoses.
Meanwhile, ADHD affects around 5 percent of children in the US, while in the UK rates are around 3.6 percent in boys and 0.9 percent in the girls.
But up to one in 20 adults in Britain could suffer from the condition, according to the ADHD Foundation charity.
NHS data for the 2022/23 financial year shows that more than 230,000 people in England were taking ADHD medication to combat their inattention and hyperactivity.
Prescription rates rose by a fifth in a year, in the biggest annual increase since modern records began in 2015.
However, in the journal article, Professor David and Dr Deeley also argued that validation of the diagnosis could come at a cost to those who need more help.
They wrote: ‘The people those who are less articulate or non-verbal are, in the realm of self-diagnosis, marginalized and denied a voice: an example of testimonial injustice.’
Earlier this week, scientists also argued that society is to blame for creating the “mental health crisis,” with doctors handing out diagnoses like “candy.”
It comes in the wake of a report revealing that people in their 20s are now more likely to be absent from work due to illness than adults in their 40s, amid rising rates of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Sheridan Smith, 42, recently revealed that she was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (pictured in 2023). The 42-year-old, who rose to fame on The Royle Family as Antony’s girlfriend Emma, told Vogue that it has helped her “make sense of a lot of things” in her life and better understand the “noise of deep in your brain.” . Other celebrities who have been diagnosed with ADHD include Olivia Atwood, Sue Perkins, Johnny Vegas and Ben Fogle.
TV presenters Melanie Sykes (pictured), Chris Packham and Christine McGuinness are among the celebrities who have shared their autism diagnoses.
Professor Frank Furedi, a sociologist at the University of Kent, said: “We have a constant proliferation of psychological diagnoses given to children, so things like ADHD are constantly being handed out like candy.”
“If you look at all the reports published in the last 20 years, in the last ten years it has escalated a lot, there is constant talk about mental health problems.”
Earlier this year, a damning BBC investigation found patients could get an ADHD diagnosis and powerful medication through unreliable video call assessments with private clinics.
But experts have also argued that ADHD was not officially listed in the UK as a disorder affecting adults until 2008.
Before that, it was only recognized as a childhood problem that children outgrew.
As a result, rather than being overdiagnosed, some experts argue that many adults who are now told they have ADHD have been ignoring their symptoms for years.