A peer recently expressed her opinion that ADHD is being portrayed as a “fashionable disorder” and suggested that many individuals diagnosed with the condition may not be as severely affected as believed.
Baroness Claire Fox, a former Brexit Party member, addressed the issue of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during a debate in the House of Lords.
She highlighted an 18% increase in ADHD prescriptions between April 2023 and March 2024 and discussed the challenges faced by NHS trusts in diagnosing and treating ADHD in both children and adults.
Baroness Fox expressed concerns about the growing trend of labeling individuals with ADHD and the subsequent reliance on medication to cope with everyday challenges, even when they may not necessarily require such intervention.
In the debate on the Mental Health Bill, she criticized the overeager labeling of individuals as mentally ill by therapeutic experts and counselors, leading to a demand for medication to deal with life’s difficulties, particularly among younger individuals.
Baroness Claire Fox. Pic: Parliament
Baroness Fox recounted a situation where she observed young individuals displaying aggressive behavior and demanding treatment for ADHD, referring to the disorder as a trendy diagnosis that is often applied liberally.
These comments follow the release of statistics by Ofqual showing a significant increase in the number of students receiving extra time for exams due to diagnoses like ADHD, particularly prevalent in independent schools.
For more information on ADHD:
- Online ADHD tests recommended for NHS use
- Why are more adults being diagnosed with ADHD?
- NHS unable to meet demand for autism and ADHD services
Baroness Elaine Murphy, an independent peer and former psychiatrist, concurred with Baroness Fox, emphasizing the existence of excessive diagnoses of mental disorders that may require alternative approaches to treatment.
She criticized certain websites for promoting unnecessary payments for psychotherapy and counseling services, feeding into the culture of overdiagnosis.
Liz Kendall, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, addressed the issue of mental health-related absences from work in an interview with the Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge.
She acknowledged the reduction in stigma surrounding mental health but acknowledged the challenges of everyday stress and the need to differentiate between genuine health problems and the demands of the working world.