Young people’s mental health problems ‘are real’, says author of government review

Screengrab of Professor Peter Fonagy © BBC Breakfast

By Ella Pickover, PA Media and Daniel Pye

The lead author behind a major review into mental health has made clear the mental health problems young people face are “real” despite the debates about “overdiagnosis” of certain conditions.

Professor Peter Fonagy was commissioned by the former health secretary Wes Streeting to deliver a report into mental health, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism after concerns were raised about the potential overdiagnosis of the conditions in young people.

The report is expected to be published imminently, and it comes as a poll by Pulse suggests seven in 10 GPs think adult ADHD is ‘overdiagnosed’ and nearly half think it is ‘very overdiagnosed’.

One GP told the magazine that of more than 1,000 patients they had referred, only one did not receive a positive ADHD diagnosis.

Ahead of his report’s publication, Fonagy has insisted that “it’s harder to be young now”.

Fonagy told the BBC that there has been a real rise in mental health problems among young people and said he will call for support to be improved.