"For adults, an ADHD diagnosis can be life-saving. But it can also carry risks."
The claim this BBC article highlights is that while life-saving, an ADHD diagnosis can have potential risks involved. This article from October 4th, 2024 by Christine Ro, explains that ADHD is largely under-diagnosed in adults and can be diagnosed late during a life crisis. These issues with under-diagnosis mean that adults with ADHD spend a lifetime masking their symptoms, which are further masked if they are diagnosed with other mental disorders that share comorbidity with ADHD. A diagnosis can be life saving, as adults with ADHD have a lower life expectancy due to suicide, substance abuse, accidents and other health complications ((Faraone et al.). However, the downsides of a diagnosis are outlined in this article as well, including social stigma, grief, over-diagnosis, medication overuse and shortages. Social stigma can prevent newly diagnosed patients from disclosing diagnosis to their employers (“‘ADHD Is Presented as a Quirky Thing… It’s Almost Become Entertainment’”). Additionally, late diagnosis can leave people with a lot of grief over lost opportunities and lack of confidence (French and Cassidy). This article also points to over-diagnosis as a potential risk. How can something be under-diagnosed and over-diagnosed at the same time, you may ask. Misdiagnosis is the key word here, due to long waiting lists for public practice diagnosis and differences in diagnostic approaches between public and private-funded clinics (Data on Adult ADHD Service Backlogs in the UK). Additionally, medication-focused treatment driven by insurance providers and pharmaceutical companies has caused ADHD medication shortages in some areas (“Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder”). Additionally, use of stimulant medication for ADHD showed elevated risk of mania or psychosis in adults (Moran). This article also mentions higher risk of mood destabilization due to stimulants (Henderson and Hartman).
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2. “‘ADHD Is Presented as a Quirky Thing… It’s Almost Become Entertainment.’”
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