Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has made controversial remarks regarding the diagnosis of mental health conditions in the UK, claiming that the country is “massively overdiagnosing those with mental illness problems” and creating a “class of victims”. Speaking at a press conference for local elections in Dover, Farage suggested that it was too easy for individuals to obtain a mental health diagnosis from a GP. He argued that providing a disability status to an 18-year-old, along with high levels of benefits, essentially labels young people as victims, and that such labelling might perpetuate feelings of victimhood.
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The comments, which have been heavily criticised by mental health campaigners and organisations, were described as “incorrect” by the National Autistic Society. The organisation refuted Farage’s claims, asserting that conditions such as autism and ADHD cannot be diagnosed by a GP, and instead require specialist assessments. Moreover, statistics from the charity Rethink Mental Illness highlight the issue of waiting times, with people seeking mental health treatment facing much longer delays compared to those requiring physical healthcare.
Farage’s remarks also suggested that GPs might be under pressure to confirm mental health diagnoses, such as depression or anxiety. He stated that a long-standing relationship between patient and GP might make it difficult for the doctor to reject a diagnosis. He went on to argue that such assessments should be carried out independently, not by family doctors, and expressed concern over what he perceived as a widespread overdiagnosis of mental health conditions in the UK. Farage further stated that this could lead to the creation of a victim class, which would struggle to overcome their circumstances.
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In response, experts and campaigners condemned Farage’s views. Mel Merritt, head of policy at the National Autistic Society, criticised the comments as “wildly inaccurate”, pointing out that no one has ever been diagnosed with autism through a GP. Brian Dow from Rethink Mental Illness added that Farage’s lack of medical knowledge showed that he was out of touch with the reality of the healthcare system. Farage also commented on the upcoming local elections, stating that councils won by Reform UK could potentially ban hotels from housing asylum seekers, adding another layer to the political discussion.
