It has become a polarised public debate: Are people being overdiagnosed with ADHD, autism and mental health conditions?
Now a major independent review, commissioned by the government, debunks the so-called “snowflake” generation myth, concluding that the rise in mental health problems is “real”, with a “genuine” increase in need.
The report chaired by renowned psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist, Professor Peter Fonagy, finds that mental distress has increased “substantially” in England – especially in children and young people.
The proportion of 16–24-year-olds with a common mental disorder has increased from around one in six in 1993 to one in four in 2024, with young women now reporting the highest rates of any group.
The experts conclude that “life has become harder” for younger people, with more financial insecurity, unemployment and scrutiny, intensified by social media, with fewer opportunities for rest and recovery.
But on the prevalence of ADHD and autism it is a slightly different picture.
While evidence shows the percentage of the population in England born with those neurodevelopmental conditions appears to have remained broadly stable, demand for diagnosis and support has rocketed.
It is partly down to greater awareness and less stigma, but the report concludes it’s also because diagnosis has become the “gateway” to getting support – at school, university or work, which is driving people to seek a formal diagnosis.
That’s leading to services becoming overwhelmed and long waiting lists.
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