A BBC News investigation reports that hundreds of GPs across England believe mental health problems are increasingly being over-diagnosed, while also expressing deep concern about the lack of accessible, high-quality support for patients who genuinely need care. The findings come as demand for mental health, ADHD, and autism services continues to rise, prompting the UK Health Secretary to commission an independent review into the drivers of demand and gaps in provision.
The BBC surveyed more than 5,000 GPs in England, with 752 responding. Of those, 442 GPs said over-diagnosis is a concern, most describing it as occurring “by a little,” while 81 GPs felt mental health problems are under-diagnosed, highlighting significant disagreement within primary care.
Over-medicalisation concerns alongside unmet need
Many respondents raised concerns about the medicalisation of normal life stress, such as grief, relationship breakdowns, and financial pressures. Several GPs argued that applying diagnostic labels like anxiety or depression to these experiences risks diverting limited resources away from people with more severe or enduring mental health conditions. A commonly expressed view was that “life being stressful is not an illness.”
At the same time, GPs stressed that rising presentations are closely linked to system-level failures, not simply changing patient expectations. Nearly all reported spending far more time on mental health than five years ago, largely because patients struggle to access specialist services, social and economic pressures are worsening distress, and primary care is often the only available point of support.
Views differed sharply on younger adults. Some GPs suggested people aged 19–34 have become less resilient since the pandemic and are more focused on receiving diagnoses, while others argued the core issue is under-diagnosis and limited assessment capacity within services. Data from NHS England shows that around one in five adults report a common mental health condition, rising to one in four among 16–24-year-olds, underscoring the scale of demand.
Concerns about service capacity were widespread. A clear majority of GPs said there is rarely or never enough good-quality mental health support for adults in their area, with even greater concern for children and young people. Similar pressures were noted in ADHD services, with some NHS pathways closed to new referrals due to overwhelming demand.
Overall, the investigation highlights a complex tension for primary care: balancing legitimate concerns about over-medicalisation with rising mental distress and a system that many GPs feel is not meeting current levels of need.
Read the full BBC News investigation, “‘Life being stressful is not an illness’: GPs on mental health over-diagnosis” (8 December 2025).
