Living in Britain would give me a mental health crisis too tbh

Covid and lockdowns. Inflation. Threat of war. Increased pressure at work. Increased pressure at school. Student debt. Increased awareness of mental health issues. Housing crisis. Fears about the environment. Fears that AI and automation will adversely affect job prospects. Nope! I can't think why there should be an increase in anxiety and depression. What on earth have people got to worry about that could lead to stress? We live in a Utopian society!

Its almost like cost of living increases and housing insecurity can't be solved by talking about how poverty makes you feel.

Between the ages 17-24 you’re either really happy or really miserable and wish you could live in a mountain hut in the Austrian alps

There are a lot of advertisements from various organisations that encourage people suffering from mental health conditions to contact the NHS or other support groups. After suffering from severe depression for many years I decided to follow the advice and open up to my GP. I was referred to mental health services. After about 3 or 4 months they called me and asked me to install a self-help app. And that was it. To add insult to injury, the app didn't work properly so I just gave up.

Properly funding mental health resources is absolutely necessary, but we also need to look at the root causes of why people are struggling -- lack of proper housing, poverty wages, lack of opportunities, generational poverty, etc. An individual can have a great therapist but if their environment is toxic, therapy, medication, and resiliency can only help so much.

I recently visited the UK and honestly one of the main cultural shocks I had was how unhappy people seemed there, especially young people. It's honestly no wonder considering how low wages are and how expensive everything is. I don't know how people afford to be alive.

Could part of the apparent "crisis" be simply a greater awareness? Until people began to link disease with germs, clean water wasn't as important. Afterward, they had a crisis of clean water supply.

My partner works in the civil service, and this is the direct result of over a decade of austerity. Over the years the workload has gone up, the pay hasn't, and as people leave they aren't replaced because of budget constraints. Leads to people doing work that used to be done by two or three people, and they can't cope and get burnt out.

I'm a 21 year old neet with depression and anxiety. Call me weak, I know. I haven't been able to even get a job at a restaurant or a supermarket, let alone an apprenticeship for the field I want. The competition is so high in the job market that it feels like if you're not the very best, or can't take advantage of nepotism, you might as well give up. There's no ladder to climb. Everyone just expects you to make it.

Reduce work to 4 days and you will see massive improvements to mental health.

We're depressed and anxious because living in this country is depressing and stressful. Thank the tories.

If you were born in 2000 you are now 24. From the age of 8 you have seen the credit crunch, austerity, increased fees for university, decline in clubs and pubs, then brexit, lockdowns, high inflation, cost of living crisis. Little wonder you would be unhappy.

The individualisation of mental health is to blame for this. Mental health, as was historically done, should be seen as a societal issue that isnt between a psychiatrist and a client but in the material conditions of actual people in society to get better. This is done through good housing programs, care for local communities and affordable living standards. If we gentrify every neighborhood's community away and keep housing like this we will not have good places to heal. Mental health is political

Life in the UK is hopeless and shit. The only hope you have is if you're parents either own a successful business or simply have money laying about.

Any illness left untreated can become debilitating.people suffering debilitating illnesses are less likely to go in to work. Simple healthcare 101

I believe this is what happens when a government focuses on the strength of its currency than the strength of its citizens mental health.

I had a friend who was on an NHS waiting list for a mental health condition for 4 years before she killed herself.

NHS staff and ADHDer here. The number of criteria being reduced for a diagnosis is due to ADHD and Autism having a high likelihood of comorbidity. Some criteria were incorrectly flagging an autism symptom as ADHD. Also, probably due to lack of staff, many professionals have an outside expertise on what ADHD is and don't live with it day to day and know nothing else, so this push to make the criteria even harder to ease strain on services is just another result on the tories not funding mental health services properly (historically we receive even less proportionate funding than acute). Also, side note, due to the above it's even worse for autism diagnosis. Once you get that then you are "too complex" and can't even get support for basics like depression because there aren't enough autism specialists to go around (they are as rare as rocking horse poo and and trust having one is lucky)

Will never be able to buy a house, working long hours for a meagre wage, living standards constantly dropping year on year - what's the point...

I think you've got this the wrong way round. The reason people have poor mental health is because the economy is so bad.

Is there any surprise younger people are suffering, cost of living crisis, suppressed wages and companies that abuse their staff left and right

Everything is becoming more and more of a fight. Jobs are continually unstable, and everyone is immediately replaceable online. Pay never keeps up for ordinary people. And during the pay not keeping up - houses, food, and basic entertainment (especially with libraries being shut down) become more and more unaffordable, especially if you are alone. Kids are unaffordable for most, so you aren't acting like you are keeping it all together for them. Is it surprising that people are finding a lack of things to aim for, because it takes so much of your time and effort to just survive. If you want people to be focused on their work at work, and not get overwhelmed, then they need to not spend all their time worrying about things outside of the workplace.

It’s true I’ve never seen the country look, feel and be so miserable. People are coasting through a sea of hopeless misery.

"Be perfect or be discarded, but don't expect to be paid as if you're perfect". Also, having to pay the highest tuition in the world for wanting to go to uni is very interesting, especially when even having a bachelor degree is basically as useful as having a diploma.

Personally I don’t think throwing more money at the issue is the way to go forward. Rather trying to address what actually causes the anxiety and depression. I come under the 17-24 bracket with a mental health condition and I can certainly say, in my case my mental health would be much better if I didn’t have the issues I did. Our corrupt establishments such as police and government need to be held to account. There is also wider issues such as cost of living, culture wars, religious wars, current wars, inflation, house prices, rising bills, loneliness, declining population, lack of relationships, work/school pressure, etc etc. I’m sure if a survey was conducted on root causes of mental health issues these themes would come up. So rather than giving more money to NHS who try to help us manage our stress/mental health issues, actually addressing the problems that cause them is the bigger issue in my opinion!

The increasing cost of living and failure for wages to keep up is also going to worsen mental health issues And this year about 3k doctors applied into psychiatry training, but there are only around 600 training spots, not much more than a decade ago

As someone who struggles with major depression (resulting in psych ward stays) with psychotic symptoms, I am still only offered antidepressants and CBT. I'm not bipolar or scizophrenic so I don't hit the high threshold for CMHT or a psychiatrist for different meds beyond antidepressants GP's can prescribe. But the treatment *just* for anxiety and depression doesn't help, you can't talk yourself out of psychosis. It's been a decade now of years of feeling ok then years of horrendous episodes with very little support. I imagine there's a lot of people stuck in this middle ground with me.

I had to leave my job of 9 years after multiple mental breakdowns, my dad is currently on long-term sick after a breakdown at his work, employers dont care they just want you to shut up and work more then you are paid

you absolutely should talk about CAMHS, because I have a number of friends who went through CAMHS and from what I hear it's one of the most degrading things a child can go through. from what I remember, my friend who was self-harming at 14 got told by her doctor that her wounds "weren't deep enough" to be alarming. I doubt anything's changed in 4-5 years.

Huge numbers of professionals in the NHS are on the verge of burnout because of political choices and all the government wants to talk about is productivity.

That is NOT why more people are seeking ADHD diagnoses omg.

Being treated like a worker drone. Forcing staff to work at the top limits of their capacity.

I like how you didn’t even touch on the effectiveness of mental health services or lack there off. There needs to be some targeted but in general it’s just a money pit of never ending spending as people refuse to deal with the underlying conditions

I'm behind the idea that a core part of the issue is loneliness. Society isn't adapted to how we've lived most of human history which was tribal, relatively broad close knit clan communities. The nuclear family many of us live by isn't sufficient. I think everyone recognizes that. You need friends, coworkers etc etc. But many of the substitutes for a clan that people have found in religious organization and other similar things that grow from in person socializing have decreased. Personally coworkers are much more distant to me because I've worked remote most of my working life. I think social media, pornography and even just telecommunications generally hurt people in this way. I don't recall where I gathered this but I recall mental illness having a close connection to loneliness. Doesn't mean it's "fake". Just that one may cause the other (or it's bidirectional). Then there's also (more rigid than my speculation of course) the "prevalence inflation hypothesis". A poorly studied suggested phenomenon where mental health awareness leads to people reporting mild distress as mental health issues. That can only be part of the explanation because you'd see a lower rate of diagnosis. And I don't think that's reflected strongly in the queues to doctors.

In light of the ongoing global economic crisis, it is crucial for everyone to prioritize investing in diverse sources of income that are not reliant on the government. This includes exploring opportunities in stocks, gold, silver, and digital currencies. Despite the challenging economic situation, it remains a favorable time to consider these investments.

Small nitpick: the NHS does not use the DSM. It instead uses ICD, currently ICD-11 to be precise.

The rapidly increasing cost of living and declining quality of life is, I think, one of the main things that must be causing this. Our seas and rivers are full of sewage, more people are using food banks every year, cost of housing is spiralling out of control. Meanwhile the politicians don’t care to fix anything.

Given that a large majority of NHS Trust’s services have been sold off by the current government to private contractors (Privatisation, which has increased wait times and decreased care quality.) Does anybody truly think the Tories , or even Centrist Labour will fund mental health services? I think not.

imagine knowing that you will never be able to buy your house in a cool place not a dump like Preston or Blackpool, and then unable to save any money, not able to buy anything, only survive, paycheck to paycheck.... and govt is not interest in solving this

As someone from Liverpool who has ADHD , recently diagnosed, I think our services where chronically bad at finding people with this condition. I smashed the criteria, and I know a few others getting loads. Historically merseyside was bad at addressing learning difficulties.

Maybe a discussion about mental health nurse shortages would be helpful in this and not just doctors…

NHS was always terrible at mental health - I had my own experience in early 2010s where I would have had to wait 16 months for treatment (I gave up, took out a loan for "furniture" and went private - mostly because I felt like I won't survive that long).

WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE ECONOMY! 😭

As someone with a long history of MH issues I can confirm that it's been going downhill for a long time. Staff in MH services are stretched too thin, and to get to see an actual counsellor you have to be in crisis. Outside the NHS a lot of charitable services have gone due to lack of funding, which bounces people back to the NHS and, in extreme cases of which there are too many, back to A&E. Once admitted they can't be released so they end up taking beds (and staff) away from those that need it. It's not nice being stuck in hospital with someone who is clearly unhinged on one side of you, and a patient who requires round the clock supervision and security (so at least a nursing assistant and a security guard get tied up with one patient) kicking off every ten minutes, until they pass out for a bit, only to start again when they wake. Yet there's nowhere for them to go, so they stay there for months in some cases. Which is utterly unforgivable. But all this means that if you're trying to stay ahead of your issues and avoid falling into crisis the best you can hope for is 6 sessions of CBT. After a few months, if you're lucky. Youth services and all forms of adult intensive care are hard fields to work in, and if you're being run ragged for a pittance why are you going to hang around? If you've experience in MH then anywhere else will be more than happy to take you on because if you can handle that for a few months pretty much anywhere else is a breeze, even end of life care. It's also worth pointing out that a lot of mental health services are usually under specific NHS MH trusts, so it is much easier to direct additional funding which the government has refused to do. Annual snipping away at MH services has led to more violent crime, assaults, suicides and incidents provoking national outrage, Valdo Calocane being the most recent example. Seriously, his victims and their families should be able to sue the sitting government (s) of the past few years for negligence or dereliction of duty or some such.

The annoying thing too is instead of I don't know, investing more money in the NHS mental health services which is shoddy AF which I had to pay two months wages to go private to just get diagnosed and tested, you increase funding for it reduce the waiting lists and get them help then they will be able to enter the workforce. They instead are going hurrr duurrrr they are lazy, lets, cut disability and universal credits. As if that will solve it, cutting the only thread they have to maintain themselves, like that would only result in sel termination going up through the roof. It would not solve the issue at all.

It’s a dark and rainy place. I think Seasonal depression is especially high here

Things here are getting palpably and visibly worse with no sure sign that anything will get better, our political culture has become horrendously divisive and is dominated by social media sites like twitter that encourage division and anger, it's honestly a no brainer from my perspective

Blaming the crisis on a redefinition of criterion based on more empirical research seems to be the least important reason here.

It is a mix of many things. All of them were avoidable years ago, but neglected by the people in power - Socio-economic factors have generational effects. Poor parents = poor children, obviously. We are getting poorer, so naturally children suffer too. Young adults have been priced out of economic security. Homes are 8x the average salary. So what are they working for? Young people cant even move out of their parents house at a reasonable age. There are plenty of people in their mid-20s who cant move out because social housing is basically dead, and landlords have taken all the other houses and priced them up to more than half of the average wage. Public service funding has plummeted for the past 15 years. Young people aren't getting the education or support they need to prepare for adult life. Many kids are computer illiterate and MANY haven't read a single book in their lives. How are they supposed to manage in an increasingly digital age where both computer skills and reading comprehension are key? - we all have a lack of purpose now. People are working to survive and to stay afloat, but they're not working towards anything else. People have to work depressing jobs and when they finish for the day, they dont have the time or energy to do anything else. A lot of people cant even afford to start a family, so they're just working so they can afford to consume the next advertised thing and then use the rest on rent. - Social media. The popular understanding of social media's effect on young people is slightly outdated. Yes constantly comparing yourself to others isnt good, but the more detrimental thing for young people is the constant access to instant gratification, shallow and pessimistic arguments, cynicism, false information, a messed up sense of moral superiority on twitter... it all has an effect on young people growing up with it all.

My depression mostly stems from my hope for a better future and current UK politics has obliterated this.

Our mental health crisis is getting far far far FAR worse. It's the one field in which our conditions and standard of living is infintessimally declining, even while technology advances further. Nothing is being done about this, at all.

All my employers care about is my pick targets at work. It’s no wonder I’m having mental health problems….

Has anyone looked into how convoluted and difficult it is to work in psychology? I have a BSc in Psychology, trained in mental health first aid, voluntary experience, and I genuinely want to help everyday people with their mental ill-health as a career. However, its stupidly competitive and to start out you essentially need experience in psychiatric wards or social work, which pay peanuts and can be dangerous. Even to start as a psychological wellbeing practitioner, which is pretty entry level, you need a lot of previous experience. I'd love to be a therapist, but I'm completely turned off by the training and recruitment process, as well as working for peanuts in the NHS.

In 10 years? its already a crisis. my current situation is pretty dire. i have something wrong that is not diagnosed (wont disclose because its a group of people with a common issue of aelf diagnosis cause it was "trendy" for a while) And it is causing utter chaos in my work and personal life. my options are. 1. Wait 5 years for the nhs diagnosis and support. And inevitably lose my job 2. Go into stupid debt handling the issue myself. Privately i will NEVER forgive this country for that. I pay my taxes. Doesnt fucking matter. This country has put capital before its people. Theyre leaving me to either be useless on the dole or to die on the streets. i always wanted to work. Now i honestly dont care anymore. Regardless of the consequences. It cannot be worse than what i have went through for the past 6 months.

I keep having these nightmares of a mindlessly hyper-competitive world, where nobody cares about each other and will throw each other under the bus if it helps them advance.... then I wake up.....

I was told to use an app that I’d have to text a therapist. The app wouldn’t hold my log in details for more than about 30 seconds and I’m dyslexic. What it felt like they wanted was to condense peoples mental health problems into four basic emoji’s. What was actually going on was a very complex problem with me trying to deal with my sick mother that needed more help than she’d accept and much of my problems weren’t just mental health problems but the fact I was really struggling with the situation.

I am researching the topic in academia. It’s atrocious. I recommend looking at the ADHD crisis in the UK in more depth - It’s killing a lot of people. It takes 5+ years for a diagnosis. Otherwise it’s £750 privately (assessment+follow-up) typically, in the next 3-5 months, if you’re lucky. And if you have been diagnosed with it-Good luck with getting treatment. You might get a medication if you went privately, but since the medication reviews are so expensive (and a high number of psychiatrists privately simply do not accept them), you can be stuck with taking a medication that is the wrong dosage due to medication short-cuts that damages your health (that can send you in the hospital due to damages on the heart with no access to medication reviews), or severe symptoms that can put you in danger if you stop taking those meds, including suicide (much higher rates in this population). Without even talking about medication shortages. Suicide services are atrocious-people wait 1 hour or more on a line in a middle of a crisis to speak to non-specialists, or be stuck in the hospital waiting rooms for 7+ hours (and they can’t leave or the hospital can set the cops on you) only to be told there’s nothing they can do as there are no psychiatrists that can see you. Also, no insurance covers ADHD as you are born with it and therefore considered a pre-existing condition.

Just once I would love to see a "This topic is currently not considered a crisis in the UK"

It's important to differentiate between diagnosed cases and actual cases. In my opinion, it's not that we young people suffer from greater mental health problems, but that we simply recognize it more. And the lack of diagnosis in general doesn't mean that there are fewer problems, because there are people who may suffer from them but don't go to a professional for a diagnosis

I'd argue that a lack of trust in the future of the country is also a pretty big reason for the uk specifically getting worse

I haven't worked full time since I crashed out of a job I had early in the pandemic, which led to a nervous breakdown. I've had a long history of anxiety and depression, and the way I was treated in the social care job I had led to this. I was signed off for early retirement at just 47 because of the long-term damage to my mental health and wellbeing (also exacerbated by long waits for other NHS health services) and will likely never work full time again, nor in any job paying much more than minimum wage. It doesn't feel great to be a net drain rather than a contributor to the economy, but this is down to Tory system failure rather than myself, this country has been screwing over ordinary hard working people for well over a decade.

Have they tried giving us jobs that earn enough to support homes and families, without burning ourselves out living "the grindset" as multimillionaires make bank and inequality worsens? No? Didnt think so

Austerity

As a middle aged person, I feel that young people really are going through a difficult time. I don't envy them. I feel that there are multiple reasons, both existential and physical. The most important issue is that buying your own home is now an almost impossible dream. Even renting is difficult. So you may be stuck with parents and not feeling truly independent. The retirement age is going up all the time - and I suspect that a point will be reached when you'll only be able to retire when you have the money to do so. (Though it's worth remembering that the govt pensions were originally introduced on the basis that a person would only live a few years past retirement). So you'll need to put money aside to pay for that pension - but that can be easier said than done. Young people seem to be less involved in outdoor activities and instead are more involved in gaming - but it's well established that the whole process of being outdoors and engaging in nature is proven to help our mental health. But access to the outdoors isn't easy: more people live either in cities, or in flats, where even a garden or park is out of reach. The world is burning - climate change is real - and yet the future is in the hands of people who clearly put profit before people. Social media and gaming may be easy and fun, but it's also addictive - and it's no substitute for real conversations with real people.

I know it's a politics channel but the final line of the video really tells you a lot. We only care about people's mental health when it impacts the economy I guess. I'm sure that feels great.

10 years ago I had a mental health crisis and received support almost immediately and got counselling within the year. After a recent relapse I have learned that it is a minimum of 1-2 years to see a therapist. It's not hard to see that if the government wants to get people back to wor it has to properly fund the NHS first.

After 2 decades of the govertment like the Britain got we would all have mental problems I am affraid

Part of me wonders if there's going to be some zeitgeist pushback along the lines that mental health has been excessively "medicalised". Because fundamentally, it's a top down problem. One of the most important roles of a leader and political party *is to inspire hope.* Maybe the country isn't _ill_ for feeling hopeless at the moment? I can't remember what term was used, but I remember some of the controversy regarding Canada's euthanasia laws mentioning a term that essentially meant "you're depressed, but in your situation, it would be concerning if you weren't" and I think we desperately need to move that kind of thing into the discussion more. The early 21st century has come to be defined by an unprecedented era of political paralysis, with many countries going through the national equivalent of a blood clot in the brain. Many first past the post democracies have split into a selfish conservative party with no good policies except how to hold onto power, and an out of touch centrist party that is at least _interested_ in governing but has few good and no new ideas on how to do it. Actual living, grass roots politics has split left and right, both terrifying each other, all while we have climate change as the Sword of Damocles over our heads. Of course, the problem is more than just politics, and lots of people can actually benefit from medical treatment for mental health issues. But the establishment's definition of "health" is always going to be "productive and working without complaint", and that perception has even slipped into TLDR's coverage with the stats at 7:10. Hard not to feel cynical about it all

Allocation of money for mental health and learning disability support has been cut to save the councils from going under. Plus most mental health workers get low pay (especially for sleep shifts).

Me and my girlfriend have been living in the uk for the past 3 and a half years. She is Portuguese and she feels like going insane without sun. We plan on leaving for many reasons… unfortunately.

I have for one reason or another been trying to get an ADHD diagnosis for five years. I've been kicked off waiting lists twice because services closed and didn't transfer their patients. With help, I might be able to work, but because the NHS keeps failing to meet my needs, I'm just left in a horrible limbo where I can't work, I feel awful about myself and my mental health gets worse, I end up with secondary depression, no one will help me fix the root cause, so my ability to work gets worse....

The current situation in Russia and the threat of nuclear war isn't helping and the threat of climate change. Worrying times.

It's not mental health. It's social health. Young adults and those in their 20s are more demoralised that they won't achieve a comfortable life.

I have been advocating for a while for a NHS overhaul where we take money out of keeping old people alive as long as possible and put it into a reformed National Mental Health Service (NMHS if you will). One of the founding functions of the NHS was to keep a fit and healthy workforce, the NHS needs to evolve to provide that.

I thought this title was to do with Liz Truss at first 😉

Is this audio put through a compressor? It sounds really strange and ‘pumping’.

my local services have an 8 month wait time for NHS/charities, private costs far too much and has a 3 month wait aswell. cant even see my doctor within 30 days.

Mental health care in this country is absolutely pathetic Everypne cites pitiful excusrs on why it is, but excusrs are irrelevant You eithet fix it, or you don't There's no such thing as anything else

Meanwhile the US: "One prison fits all! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

On the bright side at least the public can empathise with their mentally ill government now…

Hey @TLDR News, do you guys have a news app yet? I’ve got ADHD and love your clear and simple way of reporting and would love a news app that does the same!

I feel another comment is in order. Year on year life is getting harder in the UK. My company I work in is cutting back hours, it happened in my last job before I left. This is a big cycle. Unless you take management or supervisor positions your in more danger of getting hours cut. A young person of today has little job security and has to often work multiple jobs. I work 3. This isn't necessarily by choice, more by need. I do what I can to manage, but understanding my finances and tax whilst running a business had been a big learning curve that a person younger than myself would definitely struggle far more with. Some people think I had failed, but there are rules hidden with this country that keep you poor. You have to navigate your way round a minefield. Keep your head in the game, and learn those rules and get in control of your finances... it will hopefully get easier eventually. I look forward to the day I can reduce my job to 2, and then 1 again. I look forward to the day I have money from one source or all without employment, and I don't have to think much about it. Consistency is key, and I had the job I wanted for like six months before it was shat on... so I went self employed and am doing what I need to survive on top of that to do what I love doing. Now I just don't want an employer. I don't want my life controlled by someone who doesn't see my value. People don't spend money like they used to, because they don't have it. So it endless cycle of shrinking hours, you got to find a way to navigate that. No wonder mental health is worse. Every year for me has been a battle, now this year I take home 24k-25k before tax. Not a lot but more than I have ever earned.

4:29 I’m a pedant so I feel the need to say that +400% is 5X not 4X.

I left the UK a year ago and my mental health improved significantly. The society is completely toxic. Cost of living crisis; severely mentally ill people going untreated and traumatising others with their aggressive behaviour; lack of policing, security and justice; lack of access to nature; lack of pleasant infrastructure to get around by walking or cycling; rampant individualism, selfishness and disrespect; lack of hope and prospects outside London and the home counties. The NHS needs funding, yes, but the whole society needs rebuilt. Stop trying to be America, it leads to tent cities full of mentally ill homeless drug addicts. Try and be a normal European country where the fabric of society is seen as necessary to individual flourishing, not an impediment to it.

Social media is definitely a huge reason for any rise in mental health cases, especially in young people. Most people are constantly bombarded with bad news and compare themselves to the best parts of other people’s lives

Surely nothing to do with the fact that say in Australia, an entry level clinical psychologist gets paid 25% more. In fact, this is more as Australia has at least 11% **ON TOP** of wages towards your pension, while in the UK it is -2% (minimum of 8%, with minimum 3% by the employer). Factoring in this, it makes it 42.25% more. For a FY1 junior doctor, it is 59%, nurses 56%. Not typos. Why bother working in the UK when you have more money and sun Down Under? And we don't have the Tories trying to steal it for London Finance with proposed reforms that would never fly in Australia either. In fact, our former right wing government **increased** regulation of the sector. - That legacy of the Tories and their wage suppression once again UK.

I might have been able to respect this video if it had provided data around the broadening of definitions for mental health conditions. Instead, it went off about adhd diagnosis, which is not a mental health condition. One of the main argumentative threads in this video was this not backed up. Yes, the definition change for this did broaden and therefore allow a wider range of people to fit under this diagnostic criteria, but to my understanding this was to make the criteria more accurate to the reality of the way people present, specifically as they are getting older; more to the point, people seeking out an adhd diagnosis aren’t doing it because they’ve heard there’s this thing and maybe it’d be cool to get diagnosed - they’re seeking diagnosis because they are struggling with things in their lives. This experience has not changed due to the changing diagnostic criteria - in fact, this struggling is likely to be made more understandable through being able to identify the problems as symptoms of adhd, and strategies and treatment for adhd can *reduce* the incidence (or at least everyday impact) of poor mental health in this group.

Reminder ADHD isnt a mental health condition its neurological

Would be interesting if you did a video on how the government are handling the 4-day work week in South Cambridgeshire

Really fascinating. Thank you for covering it. Years of bad policy decisions around the world clearly will come back to bite us.

My mental health problems started with workplace bullying. My wife suffers from Generalized anxiety disorder and emotionally unstable personally disorder. Apart from a little cbt she hasn't had much help ... As her carer, with a child with Asbergers and another son who is trans I suffer really bad from emotional fatigue and get no support, especially as we moved away from family for work when we were younger.

When a UK Worker earns about £1,700 a month after Tax. Then he pays his £800 Rent,...leaving him £900 to last a Month. Then he pays £120 Council Tax / Utilities £170 / Food £100 a person / £150 for Transport / £25 phone / £20 internet / Eating out £40,.... leaving just £275 to survive the WHOLE Month. 1 Emergency can push the person to Mental Breakdown.

1:16 - Surprised to see Reading onscreen

After having a particular bad experience with services over a three week period I phoned a local charity and asked them two questions ... "Is this typical, or am I just being unlucky, is this really how things are now?" they said "this is typical" "If I complain, would things get better ... or would I get labelled as a 'trouble maker' and probably get an even worst service?" they said "probably the later" (you would get an even worst service) ... for many years I have known that its hard to get help. Now I am done with them all. There simply is no point trying to get a useable service out of them. The phrase "not fit for purpose" comes to mind. But I think it goes deeper than even that. I am now 59 years old. I have been seeing for more than 40 years a difference between "professionals" and "Joe Public" (normal people). It is clear to me that something happens to the professionals that alters them. Most (not 100% but close) do not seem to be human anymore. How they think, how they react, how they respond to people just doesn't seem to show any basic understanding, empathy or caring ... its like its all been trained out of them. This is much more than "burn out" "developing a thick skin", I think its how they are trained. I feel I have wasted 40 years of my life asking for help from the wrong people. I also think than many of my problems are actually being caused by those people. I am fully aware of the need to take "personal responsibility" and not expect others to "support" me. I feel I do the best I can. We all have moments when we need help, when we simply cannot do it all on our own. I am also aware of how interconnected we all are, that none of us are an "island" and that we all rely on each other all the time. (where do you get your food from, where does electricity come from, where does water in the tap come from and so on) So what will I do now I have decided to not knock on the door of mental health services? I don't know.

There is also an increase in demand simply because mental health is less taboo and more widely recognized as a health issue. So people don't feel ashamed anymore to ask for help.

Cost of living is the answer

You've got a society that is directed against its people's flourishing while hailing them for constant fealty. That'll do some damage.

ADHD was not a good exemplar. It may be diagnosed by MH services, but it is not a MH condition.