RCGP responds to BBC research on mental health overdiagnosis

The College responds to BBC research with GPs showing concerns over the over diagnosis of mental health issues, as well as worries over the lack of support for patients experiencing mental illness.

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “GPs want to ensure their patients receive the best possible care, whether their concerns pertain to their physical or mental health. It’s a positive thing that so many more people are open to discussing their mental health, the more we break down any stigma surrounding mental health in society, the better - and that so many younger people are aware and willing to speak about mental health is a good sign for the future.

“We must be careful, as a society, not to medicalise the full range of normal feelings and behaviours and ensure GPs are not pressured into making diagnoses that conflict with their clinical judgement. But equally we must avoid dismissing genuine mental health concerns as “over-diagnosis,” which risks discouraging people from seeking help.

“GPs do not diagnose or initiate treatment without clear justification. They rely on established diagnostic criteria, clinical guidelines and recognised screening tools. Yet some patients who don’t meet the criteria for a specific condition may still be in significant distress and need support. This creates a difficult balance for GPs, particularly when patients expect a diagnosis or treatment. Navigating these situations requires careful, sensitive discussion, something GPs are trained to manage with expertise and empathy.

“Ultimately, the role of a GP is to take a holistic approach to delivering care to individual patients, considering all the physical, psychological and social factors that may be impacting on their health when coming up with a diagnosis and formulating a treatment plan in conversation with them, about the risks and benefits associated with each option. To this end, evidence has shown that prescribing anti-depressants can be a safe and effective treatment option for many mental health conditions; however, it is only one option in a range of therapies including talking therapies and CBT. Patients may also benefit from being signposted to wider societal support and ‘social prescribing’ initiatives in the community.

“What would be helpful is better access for GPs and our teams to mental health assessments, talking therapy treatments and other support – such as social prescribing initiatives, financial advice services, befriending services and bereavement support - in the community, as well as to more specialist care where needed, all of which we know can be patchy across the country.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.