Farage accused of being ‘out of touch’ after ‘overdiagnosis’ comments

Nigel Farage has been accused of being “completely out of touch” after he suggested that mental health conditions and what he described as “behavioural disabilities” are being overdiagnosed.

Mental health charity Mind have accused the Reform UK leader of “demonising” vulnerable people, while the National Autistic Society called for an end to “political point scoring”.

The Reform leader told a local elections campaign event in Dover on Thursday that overdiagnosis is “creating a class of victims in Britain who will struggle ever to get out of it”.

I think we are massively over-diagnosing those with mental illness problems, those with other general behavioural disabilities, and I think we’re creating a class of victims in Britain who will struggle ever to get out of it

He told the event “I have to say for my own money when you get to 18 and you put somebody on a disability register, unemployed with a higher level of benefits: you’re telling people aged 18 that they’re victims.

“And if you are told you’re a victim and you think you’re a victim, you are very likely to stay as a victim.”

He later added: “I think we are massively over-diagnosing those with mental illness problems, those with other general behavioural disabilities, and I think we’re creating a class of victims in Britain who will struggle ever to get out of it.”

Mr Farage also suggested that “repeated lockdowns” have caused “long-term harm”.

Mental health charity Mind said that “facts” are being “continuously overlooked in favour of fuelling culture wars”.

Minesh Patel, the charity’s director of policy and campaigns said: “We agree that disabled people, people on benefits and those out of work are more likely to struggle with their mental health.

Children with Send and disabled adults, including autistic people, are not victims who are being ‘over diagnosed’. They are people who face huge delays and long fights to get the most basic support across every aspect of their lives, including diagnosis, education, health and social care

“And evidence shows three quarters of all mental health problems are established by the age of 24. But instead of asking what is driving this, our politicians choose to demonise those who are struggling most in our society.”

Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society described Mr Farage’s remarks as “wildly inaccurate and show that he’s completely out of touch with what autistic children and adults have to go through to get a diagnosis or any support at all”.

She added: “Children with Send and disabled adults, including autistic people, are not victims who are being ‘over diagnosed’.

“They are people who face huge delays and long fights to get the most basic support across every aspect of their lives, including diagnosis, education, health and social care.”

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have suggested that Mr Farage “laying the groundwork to axe crucial special needs provision in councils he’s got his eye on”.

The party’s education spokesperson added: “If Nigel Farage had spent any time speaking to parents in his constituency, he’d know he’s barking up the wrong tree. The special needs crisis needs urgent repair – not his lazy rhetoric.

“We need a National Body for Send to end the special needs postcode lottery now.”