New health review warns young people face growing risk of ADHD and autism over-diagnosis

Key Review Findings

A major new 600-page review calls for a total rethink of support systems for mental health, ADHD, and autism across the UK. Commissioned 10 months ago by then-health secretary Wes Streeting, the report warns of a growing risk that children and young people are being over-diagnosed with ADHD and autism. Experts point out that more than 4% of children aged six to 17 have an autism diagnosis, which is well above the true level of 1 to 2 percent suggested by studies. However, the review team stresses they cannot yet say over-diagnosis is happening at scale due to outdated data surveys from nine years ago. They also note that some age groups still face under-diagnosis, and warn against blurring the line between medical conditions and normal human brain variation. Meanwhile, the report strongly rejects the idea of over-diagnosis when it comes to general mental health. Review chair Prof Peter Fonagy stated that claims of mental health over-diagnosis were completely wrong, pointing out that one in four young adults aged 16 to 24 now experience mental distress, compared to one in six thirty years ago.

Waiting Times And Support

The review highlights a severe crisis in support systems, revealing that a third of young people referred to mental health services wait more than a year. Among the 900,000 individuals waiting for ADHD or autism checks, 90% have already waited over three months. Ahead of the publication, the NHS Alliance described the wider health system as being in chaos. Beyond the NHS, the report criticizes fragmented support across education, employment, and welfare. About a third of people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment, or training cite mental health or autism as a factor. Furthermore, individuals diagnosed with ADHD before age 17 are four times more likely to be out of work or study than those without a diagnosis. To fix these delays, the review recommends scrapping the first-come, first-served waiting list approach so that patients are reassessed and those with the highest need get priority first.

Context

This review addresses long-standing pressures on public health services and welfare systems as demand for neurodivergence and mental health support continues to climb. Reviews of this scale are typically commissioned by governments to shape long-term policy reforms across schools, hospitals, and employment agencies.