THE EFFECTS OF OVERDIAGNOSIS ON TEEN MENTAL HEALTH
- whereemotionsflow
- Apr 9
- 5 min read
-By Triya
Introduction
To understand this topic we must first define what overdiagnosis is. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIC) overdiagnosis, in a medical context, is defined as, the diagnosis of a condition that, in the absence of screening or diagnostic testing, would never have caused symptoms or harm to a patient during their lifetime. [Singh, H., Dickinson, J. A., Thériault, G., Grad, R., Groulx, S., Wilson, B. J., Szafran, O., & Bell, N. R. (2018, September 1). Overdiagnosis: causes and consequences in primary health care.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6135119/#:~:text=Definition,7 ] One must also understand how overdiagnosis has become a problem in today’s world. With social media spreading quick tests to determine whether you have ADHD or not or the small reels of symptoms you may have for a certain mental disorder leading to people self diagnosing even minor issues.
Why Is Overdiagnosis Harmful?
Overdiagnosis as has been defined in the beginning of this paper in itself should not be harmful until it becomes a widespread pandemic of paranoia. Small posts on Instagram, small quizzes titled ‘Do you have generalised anxiety disorders’ all have led to this issue.
Though there is a plus point to all of this. Globally, people have stepped forward with problems that earlier felt insignificant to the general public earlier. Underdiagnosis in several underdeveloped countries still pose a problem in
today’s world as seen in the report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001. Although underdiagnosis is a real issue, with children and adolescents not receiving the care they require, this study focuses on overdiagnosis of mental diseases.
This phenomena might be attributed to a variety of reasons and their combinations: (1) Increased understanding of mental diseases, along with a decrease in stigma, may contribute to increased health-care utilisation. Children and adolescents who were previously undiagnosed may now obtain a proper diagnosis and therapy. (2) Improved diagnostic processes may have resulted in more accurate diagnosis of mental problems. (3) As the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is updated, the thresholds for a diagnosis are dropped, resulting in a rise in prevalence rates. (4) Diagnosticians may not exactly follow diagnostic criteria. Instead, their clinical judgement is influenced by heuristics and biases.
As written in the book ‘Overdiagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health’, the author talks about how even the smallest steps outside the normal range led him to diagnosing himself beyond what was needed. An example given by him was that when his BMI came out to be 25 instead of in the normal range of 20-24.9, he overdiagnosed himself as overweight which severely led to several strains on his mental stability as a whole. The author also draws a very important conclusion from a medical conference that he attended. Though the life expectancy of human beings has increased, the healthy life expectancy of human beings also has decreased. What does it truly mean to be healthy is now lost in translation of the world. Life continues, medical facilities get better but then why does the author talk about the decrease in healthy life expectancy. A healthy individual is defined as such that they should be mentally, physically, socially and emotionally sound.
In the book titled ‘Overdiagnosis and Its Harms’, the author brings in terms of ‘placebo’ and ‘nocebo’. The placebo eect refers to a therapeutic benefit arising as a rule from the expectation of benefit itself, not from the actual composition of a treatment. The nocebo eect refers to a harm arising from the expectation of harm, as when people are led to believe they have suered a toxic exposure and fall ill. While the nocebo eect is ethically dicult to study and much of the knowledge about it derives from observation and accidental findings rather than experiment, both the placebo and nocebo eect appear to operate largely through the power of suggestive messages, enhanced in many cases by theatrical eects. The author talks about how this has led to understanding the importance of overdiagnosis on teen mental health.
What are the eects?
Overdiagnosis in teen mental health refers to the excessive or inappropriate labeling of young people with psychological disorders that may not fully meet diagnostic criteria. While increased awareness around mental health is a positive step, overdiagnosing can lead to harmful consequences, especially during the formative adolescent years. Teens are naturally going through emotional ups and downs as part of normal development, and misinterpreting these fluctuations as clinical disorders may pathologize ordinary experiences like stress, sadness, or social awkwardness.
One of the most serious consequences of overdiagnosis is the impact on a teen’s identity. Labels like "anxious," "depressed," or "bipolar" can become internalized, influencing how teens view themselves and their capabilities. Rather than developing resilience and coping strategies, they may begin to see themselves as broken or incapable. This can reduce their motivation to manage emotions independently, creating a dependency on external interventions like medication or therapy, even when not truly necessary.
Overdiagnosis can also lead to unnecessary treatment, particularly with medication. Psychiatric drugs can have side eects, and prescribing them to teens without a clear need may expose them to physical risks, including sleep disturbances, appetite changes, and hormonal imbalances. Psychologically, unnecessary treatment can foster feelings of alienation, shame, or confusion, especially when teens don’t fully understand why they are being treated.
Socially, being labeled with a mental health condition—especially one inaccurately—can lead to stigma and isolation. Friends, teachers, or even family members may treat the teen dierently, limiting their opportunities for growth, self-expression, and healthy risk-taking. The school environment, which should foster development, may instead become a place where the teen is "managed" rather than supported.
Finally, overdiagnosis can dilute the attention and resources available for teens who are genuinely struggling with severe mental health conditions. If every emotional bump is seen as a disorder, it becomes harder for clinicians and schools to prioritize those who are truly in crisis and in need of intensive support.
In conclusion, while it’s essential to support teens with genuine mental health needs, it’s equally important to avoid pathologizing normal teenage behavior. A balanced approach that recognizes the dierence between developmental challenges and diagnosable disorders is key to protecting teen well-being and promoting healthy emotional growth.
REFERENCES
Justman, S. (2015). Overdiagnosis and its harms. In Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks (pp. 93–119). https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137523297_4
Merten, E. C., Cwik, J. C., Margraf, J., & Schneider, S. (2017). Overdiagnosis of mental disorders in children and adolescents (in developed countries). Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 11(1).
Overdiagnosed: making people sick in the pursuit of health. (2011). Choice Reviews Online, 48(11), 48–6324. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.48-6324 Sayers, J. (2001). The world health report 2001 - Mental health: new understanding, new hope. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 79(11), 1085. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0042-96862001001100014
Singh, H., Dickinson, J. A., Thériault, G., Grad, R., Groulx, S., Wilson, B. J., Szafran, O., & Bell, N. R. (2018, September 1). Overdiagnosis: causes and consequences in primary health care.
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