INVISIBLE conditions used to be just that: hidden away, misunderstood and more often than not ignored. Not anymore. Thanks in large part to social media, awareness of everything from mental health conditions to chronic pain, fatigue to neurodiversity has never been higher.
In almost every aspect, this is all for the good. Greater awareness chips away at the stigma that has, for so long, left people suffering in silence. The support, solidarity and practical tips in online communities can also provide a lifeline for those with limited access to in-person support who might otherwise feel isolated.
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But we shouldn鈥檛 ignore those who sound the warning that, in some cases, awareness may cause harm. Studies of school mental health schemes for teenagers, for instance, have found that some interventions actually increase symptoms of depression and anxiety. The effect was especially seen in those who were already vulnerable to mental health problems, perhaps because they were being encouraged to focus on negative thoughts and feelings without sufficient support to help them deal with them.
Others have also warned that greater awareness of mental health issues is leading to 鈥渃oncept creep鈥�, where the everyday meaning of terms such as 鈥渁buse鈥�, 鈥渢rauma鈥� and 鈥渂ullying鈥� are becoming so broad that they risk losing their power to help people get heard.
And, as we explore in our feature on ADHD (see 鈥淎DHD: What鈥檚 behind the recent explosion in diagnoses?鈥�), where there is profit to be made in diagnosis, combined with a large grey area between what is deemed typical and what is deemed clinically problematic, it can lead to overdiagnosis and over-medication and feed into greater stigma.
The way forward is through research. Clearly, we need to keep talking about these conditions and provide support to those who need it. But where the evidence suggests that the prevailing approach may cause harm, we shouldn鈥檛 shy away from thinking again. With good research, and an open mind, we can make sure people get the right help. No stigma attached.
