Nigel Farage says mental health conditions are “over-diagnosed” – we disagree

Nigel Farage has claimed that doctors are “massively over-diagnosing” children with mental health conditions, and special educational needs and disabilities (Send). 

Let us be frank. This view is misguided, harmful, and totally out of touch. 

The real issue isn’t over-diagnosing people – it’s under-supporting them. Politicians need to stop dismissing the state of the nation’s mental health. 

Brian Dow, Deputy Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “If Nigel Farage has a medical degree, he clearly hasn’t been keeping up with his continuous professional development. 

“Rather than over-diagnosing young people, we’re abandoning a generation in crisis. Armchair analysis won’t fix a broken system. With someone now eight times more likely to wait 18 months or more for mental health treatment than physical health treatment, what we need from political leaders is commitment to finding serious solutions.” 

When asked at a press conference today – as reported in the national media – about rising numbers of children diagnosed with Send, and what could be done to help them, Farage replied: 

“It’s a massive problem. I have to say, for my own money, when you get to 18 and you put somebody on a disability register, unemployed, with a high level of benefits, you’re telling people aged 18 that they’re that they’re victims. And if you are told you’re a victim, and you think you’re a victim, you are likely to stay [a victim]. 

“So many of these diagnoses, for Send before 18, for disability register after 18 – so many of these have been conducted on Zoom, with the family GP. 

“I think that is a massive mistake. I think you’re the family GP, and I’ve known your family for generations, and you’re saying to me there’s a real problem here with depression, or whatever it may be, it’s quite hard for me as your GP to say no. 

“I don’t think any of these allocations should be done by family GPs. I think should be done independently. 

“And I think we are massively – I’m not being heartless, I’m being frank – I think we are massively over-diagnosing those with mental illness problems and those with other general behavioural disabilities. And I think we’re creating class of victims in Britain that will struggle ever to get out of it.”