The stresses and strains of normal life are being mislabelled as mental health issues, GPs have warned.
A survey of more than 1,000 family doctors found 84 per cent believe everyday pressures are being over-medicalised.
It forms part of a report warning how the soaring numbers being labelled with a mental health disorder could leave those in genuine need struggling to get help.
Antidepressants are also being prescribed too easily, according to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) think tank, despite known difficulties coming off the drugs.‘Misunderstood mental ill-health is the leaky bucket draining the nation.
It is a leading driver of economic inactivity,’ Sophia Worringer, deputy policy director at the CSJ, told the Sunday Times.
‘No amount of government initiatives to tackle the symptoms of a stagnating economy, flatlining productivity or the anxious generation will fix the problem unless the leaks are plugged.’
It comes after analysis last week revealed under-18s admitted to hospital wards for mental health concerns has increased by two-thirds (65 per cent) in a decade.
Published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal, it showed mental health admissions for under-18s increased from 24,198 to 39,925 between 2012 and 2022.
A survey of more than 1,000 family doctors found 84 per cent believe everyday pressures are being over-medicalised (stock image)
The stresses and strains of normal life are being mislabelled as mental health issues, GPs have warned (stock image)
Antidepressants are also being prescribed too easily, according to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) think tank, despite known difficulties coming off the drugs.‘Misunderstood mental ill-health is the leaky bucket draining the nation (stock image)
Critics are concerned social media is fuelling a rise in people self-diagnosing mental health and anxiety disorders, leading to growing demand for drugs and other treatments.
British psychologist Lucy Foulkes says efforts to increase public awareness about mental health problems to help reduce or prevent symptoms across the population has had a ‘paradoxical’ effect.
She suggests it could be leading some people to diagnose themselves inaccurately when they are experiencing relatively mild or transient problems.
But Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity Sane, said the threshold would vary from patient to patient.
She said thousands of callers – around 60 per cent -contact the charity, reporting self-harm and suicidal thoughts, which is ‘a complete change from what we were receiving maybe ten or 20 years ago.’
She added:’There are always going to be some people, especially now with the influence of social media and all the awareness campaigns, who are self-diagnosing and medicalising mental wellbeing.
‘But it must be balanced by taking them seriously and recognising it could be the signs of the early need for help.’
