Over-diagnosis of mental health conditions in young people is stretching the state to breaking point, according to a report calling for radical reforms.
Support services for children and young people cost £16billion a year and are financially unsustainable, the Policy Exchange paper found.
And a ‘new normal’ has been created, it argued, with misbehaving or feeling sad resulting in medical diagnoses, while those with acute needs miss out on decent treatment.
The report, backed by Tory former chancellor and health secretary Sir Jeremy Hunt, said almost one in five children in English schools now requires special educational needs and disabilities (Send) support.
This is putting ‘significant pressure’ on the education and wider support system, and costing
