Things Need to Change
Written on September 28, 2026
We can't go on like this (but we probably will).
In previous posts, I've explored at length how our understanding of ourselves and one another has evolved in our modern era, particularly when it comes to the mental struggles we face in life and the ways we might overcome, manage, or simply endure them. I have suggested that, to these ends, we have now become willingly indoctrinated into a scientifically informed understanding based on the premise that much of our suffering arises from various disorders of our mind or brain and hence the affected person needs to consult professionals who have the expertise to diagnose what their disorder is and offer them the appropriate remedy. The outcome of this is the extraordinary expansion of the mental health services and government funding for this, likewise those professionals paid to engage in this enterprise, which includes researching the nature of these disorders and how they can be effectively treated.
Within the confines of this industry, the most significant test of its success comes in the form of well-controlled and well-executed clinical trials of available treatments that have a sound theoretical grounding. On this basis, there is no shortage of evidence of success from the thousands of research papers that have appeared over many years now in the academic and scientific literature. This is how it should be (note 1).Outside the confines the services, we have another important test of success. This is the impact they have on society in general. Tangible benefits should be evident, not just in the mental health of the community at large but in other important aspects of national life such as employment (including numbers on sickness benefit), education, family life, and even national prosperity.
Contrast these expectations with the complete shambles we now find ourselves in, with the dramatic surge in adults and children being labelled with psychological disorders, many judged too disabled even to earn a living or receive a routine education. Alongside this are enormous and lengthy waiting lists and times for diagnosis and treatment, and a huge increase in prescriptions for psychoactive medication. These trends are now of such magnitude as to be detrimental to our country's economic prospects, not to mention the functioning of our NHS.
Clearly, those professionals who owe their power and status to the prevailing doctrine about mental health and wellbeing (one that is indeed popular with most of the populace) are over-extending their reach (note 2). But it is in their interests to uphold this doctrine and seek more funding and resources to meet the increasing demand.
Consider this example: In a radio discussion of the subject, a psychologist complained that ADHD was underdiagnosed in children of disadvantaged families, the implication being that more resources are needed to assess and, where necessary, treat such children for this disorder. An internet search indicates that the median cost for an NHS assessment alone is around £500 (non-complex cases), but higher than this for referrals to outsourced services. Let's say £1M becomes available for improving the lives of poorer families. How shall we use it? Screen up to 2,000 disadvantaged children for ADHD? My top priority would be to improve housing for these families, which too often is in a dire condition. Or how about helping them stay together? Or improving general health care? More child-centred education? Better community facilities? The list goes on. Should we not consider some of these options before the professional diagnosticians elbow their way forward, demanding the money for their own solutions?
Money intended to improve the lives and prospects of disadvantaged children that ends up in the bank accounts of the well-to-do professional classes, psychological test manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies is all-too-often money misappropriated.
Notes
1. However, we should be mindful of the growing realisation that research findings published in even the most esteemed learned journals are all-too-often unreliable or unreplicated.
2. Consider the substantial growth in the list of psychiatric diagnoses over the last 75 years, from 106 in the first edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (1952) to around 300 in the current (fifth) edition.
Clearly, there is a need for all concerned, including politicians, to step back and take a broader, more holistic perspective.
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