Is modern medicine about giving certain diseases? Many experts say yes. But what is an overdiagnosis?
It is identifying diseases that may never have symptoms or impact on the patient’s life – at least, according to neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan, who discusses the ‘boom’ of the book in his book The Age of Diagnosis.
According to the expert, the phenomenon may be bringing more damage than benefits and seems to have become very common in diseases such as Phda (attention deficit) and autismthe latter whose worldwide since 2019.
Not always behaviors or symptoms imply medical disturbances, warns the neurophysiologist. The guilt? Social pressures, says the author to.
Patients are increasingly seeking answers and validation for these behaviors; At the same time, health professionals often feel obliged to provide a more concrete diagnosis.
But while some experts share this opinion, these concerns, many others believe that increased diagnostic rates actually reflects late recognition of valid symptoms. Increased awareness and reducing stigma helped underdiagnose groups to have the support they need. And the effects are not necessarily bad: many individuals with autism, for example, report a better understanding and acceptance of themselves after the diagnosis.
However, some psychiatrists warn that attention increased by the media and celebrity revelations may be influencing diagnostic trends at a time when PHDA and autism are increasingly visible.
At issue may also be the reliability of the diagnostic practices of these diseases.
