Youngsters 'incentivised' to get ADHD and autism diagnoses

Youngsters 'incentivised' to get ADHD and autism diagnoses A review finds behaviours once regarded as normal are now being interpreted as requiring some form of intervention or treatment. Wednesday 1 April 2026 05:01, UK Why you can trust Sky News Young people and children are being incentivised to get diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , experts have said. In the findings of a government-commissioned review, they suggested diagnosis is "increasingly being used to secure support", even if other responses may be more appropriate. There has been a rise in demand for autism and ADHD services, with the UK recording the sharpest increase in ADHD drug use across Europe . But the review – launched in December – warned that more diagnoses do not necessarily mean greater prevalence of either condition and said many behaviours interpreted as requiring treatment were once regarded as normal. Estimates of how many people have ADHD or autism are "relatively stable", but diagnoses, self-identification, and service demand "have increased substantially". Its authors warned of a "risk that a wide range of difficulties – particularly those arising from social, educational or environmental pressures – may increasingly be interpreted primarily through a medical lens". 8:14 Share Is ADHD overmedicated? While there is "credible evidence of increasing psychological distress", especially among younger people, there are several factors likely at play. These include "institutional incentives and pressures within existing service pathways", "changing help-seeking behaviour", and "improved recognition" of symptoms. "In autism, the evidence also points to particularly rapid growth in identified need within educational systems, including increasing identification among girls and among young people without learning disability," the review said. Read more from Sky News: Heart disease patients to get Wegovy Woods releases first statement since crash Professor Peter F...