Along with Laura Kuensberg of the British Health Minister Wes Streeting, he expressed concern that some mental health was overly diagnosed on the Sunday of BBC One. The dialogue asked two experts to mention the claims of the distance. Is the health minister right?
Mental pain is lacking in diagnosis, but over -medicalized
Susan McPherson, Professor of Psychology and Sociology at ESSEX University
A year ago, the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was announced. “Heart notes culture” I went too far. His work and pension minister claimed “Mental Health Culture”Mel Stride, I went too far.
This statement has combined concerns about the idea of mental illness and the economic feasibility of disability benefits. This was seen as a response to A Report from the FoundationThrinkank.
The report says people in their 20s are more likely to stop working than people in their 40s. The report was due to the increase of the number of young people who reported mental pain (24%in 2000 to 34%in 2024).
This was used by some journalists to support the idea. Young people by working snowflakes Mental illness that makes you angry with many people, including many Disabled activists, mental health activists and opposition Labor Party members.
A year later, there is a labor government in the UK. Wes Streeting, Secretary of State, Health and Social Welfare, is facing criticism of repercus of repercus of conservative troops. He agreed that an exaggerated diagnosis explains the increase in people with mental illnesses in an interview with a government plan to reduce the benefits of the disabled. This seems to reflect the media stereotypes of working millennium generations.
If that means the distance, the evidence is not his side. 10 years ago, British state investigation on psychiatric symptoms One -third of those who are serious enough to be diagnosed with psychological symptoms have found no diagnosis.
More recent studies British end -of -family study People who have been grouped according to those who are seriously diagnosed with psychiatric diagnosis and psychological symptoms. Research has been found More than 12 times more people in the “unsuccessful” category (serious but no diagnosis) than exaggerated categories.
This study also confirmed significant inequality. People with disabilities were almost three times higher than that of disabled people.
Women have 1.5 times the risk of pain that is not diagnosed compared to men. Lesbians, gay or bisexuals were 1.4 times more likely to suffer from un -diagnosed pain compared to heterosexuals. People aged 16-24 were the most risk than all other age groups.
This suggests that inequality of uniminated pain is much larger than the British transitional diagnosis. Given that many forms of support depend on diagnosis in the UK, uninhabited pain means that people do not receive the necessary support.
but, Said the street Too many people said, “We do not receive the necessary support. Therefore, if you can get supported by people much earlier, you can help people keep their jobs or go back to work.”
Given the importance of this nod and the importance of non -medical support for prevention, the feelings of distance can be about “over -medical” of mental pain rather than exaggerated diagnosis. The difference is important.
The term “diagnosis” reflects the medical model of mental illness. Many will agree that the medical idea of ”diagnosis and treatment” does not help those who suffer from mental pain. Because this is Many evidence Proposing the fundamental cause of mental pain is the result of social, economic, environmental or past trauma.
If Streeting says “excessive medicalization,” he would have harmonized with worldwide concerns about excessive use of over -medicalization and drugs to treat mental pain. and and World Health Organization.
Despite the UK’s guidelines, psychological treatment is recommended as the first line arbitration of depression. Over the past seven years, 46% higher than 85 million Prescription of 2022-23. With this Increased organ use of psychiatric drugs Without reducing mental pain at the population level. If the distance is “over -medical”, the evidence would have been on his side.
Stephen Barnes / Medical / Alarmy Stock Photo
Mental health diagnosis is just a label -usually not helpful.
Joanna Moncrief, Criticism and Social Spiritual Professor, UCL
In recent years, there has been dramatic escalations in the number of people who want to treat mental health problems. From April 2023 to 2024, 3.8 million people contacted British mental health services. 40% higher than before cobid epidemic. The figures include a million children. One in five 16 -year -old girls is in contact with the service.
This statistics tend to use excessive use of various human problems overly by infectious diseases and are likely to have a harmful effect on physical and mental health.
Many people do not realize about mental health diagnosis are that it is different from what it is diagnosed. Physical condition. For example, as with someone’s diagnosis of cancer or rheumatoid arthritis, it does not name the fundamental biological state or process that can explain the symptoms of someone.
Mental health diagnosis does not explain anything. This is a label that can be applied to a specific problem set. The process of this label is not scientific or objective Commercial, professional and political interests.
In most situations, people with mental health problems do not bear the diagnostic label. It is convinced that people have biological defects, lead to inefficient and often harmful treatment, and in most cases, they miss the actual problem.
Diagnosis means that you have a medical state, so you may think that even if there is no good evidence that mental disorders are caused by fundamental brain or physical dysfunction, people think that they have a fundamental biological abnormalities such as chemical imbalances. Research shows that this makes people pessimistic about the possibility of recovery. There is little possibility of improvement.
If you are diagnosed, often prescribed psychiatric drugs such as antidepressants. About 8.7 million people in the UK Now take the antidepressantHalf of them are a Long -term standard.
Prescription for other drugs, such as stimulants (prescribed for ADHD diagnosis). Rising quicklyEven the following Lack of drugs. However, evidence that one of these drugs improves people’s welfare or functionality Minimal. In addition, all substances that change normal biological makeup, especially substances that interfere with brain function, cause side effects and health risks.
Antidelia can cause serious and long -term withdrawal symptoms, sexual dysfunction (can persist) and emotional paralysis or indifference. Unwanted effect. Stimulants can cause Cardiovascular problems and neurological conditions. The extensive and unfair prescription of the drug adversely affects the health of the population.
Diagnosis to people can blur the essence of the fundamental problem of a person and prevent the problem from solving it.
Mental health problems are often meaningful to stressful situations such as financial, housing and relationships and experiences. Abuse, trauma, loneliness and meaning. Reducing over -medicalization does not necessarily mean less service. What we need is not medical label treatment, but other services that provide appropriate support for people’s actual problems.
We also need a way to make excuses for people in responsibility when needed, and we need to do not feel that they must play a “painful” role that suggests that they are forever painful and helpless.
Most of today’s employment is Incomplete payment, anxiety, boredom, exploitation and pressure. Some people should not be surprised that they can’t endure. We need to improve the working conditions of everyone, but we must support those who challenge these conditions without challenging people without challenging.
