Not a Disease, Yet Still Labelled a Patient: The Heavy Shadow of Overdiagnosis on Childhood

Let’s Start With a Story
A flock of birds seems to encircle little Rini’s mind. Instead of running and playing on the school field, she’s spending the entire afternoon in the doctor’s chamber. Her parents are anxious because she’s been diagnosed with a neurological issue. According to a specialist, Rini is said to have a “mild autism spectrum disorder.” Yet, there was never any major issue noticed before regarding her studies. Still, Rini’s parents can’t find peace; they think if only her problem could be precisely named—confirmed by tests and investigations—her future would be protected. But how much mental stress Rini herself may face after being labeled with a diagnosis remains an open question.

There are many more children like Rini around us, whose “diagnoses” are increasingly being questioned by the public. In this context, experts are now issuing a stern warning—overdiagnosis can become dangerous for our mental health.

An Escalating Crisis
Neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan shares startling data in her new book The Age of Diagnosis. She points out that while diagnostic rates in modern healthcare have increased, patients are not actually getting healthier; on the contrary, their psychological discomfort has grown more complex. She notes that in the past two decades, autism diagnoses in the UK have risen by 787 percent. A similar trend is seen with ADHD and other neurological and psychological conditions. In many cases, after a diagnosis, there is no definitive or effective treatment available. Instead, individuals and their families often suffer unnecessary psychological stress.

In an interview with WIRED Health, Suzanne O’Sullivan says, “Overdiagnosis has created a situation where people are becoming exhausted under the weight of endless ‘diagnoses’, yet effective treatment is often still lacking. As a result, symptoms may even worsen—this is the nocebo effect.”

Readers’ Concerns and Experiences
Sumon Ahmed (35), a resident of Mohammadpur, shared, “When we took my younger brother to the hospital three years ago, the doctors suspected ADHD. Since then, there have been countless tests, medical labels—but there was never any clear evidence that the child had a major neurological problem. Yet, burdened with the ADHD ‘tag’, he is still ridiculed by classmates at school.”

Another parent, Roksana Haque, said, “At first one specialist said my daughter has very mild autism. The following five doctors ran the same tests and said the opposite—that there was no complex issue. We were quite stressed due to this inconsistency in information.”

Why Is Overdiagnosis Happening?
According to researchers, two or three decades ago, many diseases and conditions went undetected—something that definitely caused problems, as many patients did not get timely care. However, in the effort to raise “awareness” over time, now we see the opposite picture. The definitions of diseases are becoming broader, and doctors are quick to attach a label even for minor symptoms, or patients themselves find ‘ordinary symptoms’ online and self-diagnose.

Suzanne O’Sullivan describes this trend as a “rush for mental reassurance in the absence of proper help.” She says, “Patients often want a quick ‘label’ or diagnosis to feel assured, and doctors sometimes hastily provide that label to satisfy the demand. But when there is no effective treatment, that label only creates additional anxiety in the patient’s mind.”

Panic Versus Reality
The harmful effects of overdiagnosis are seen not only in neurological or psychological issues, but also in cancer screening programs and various clinical tests. For instance, due to overly sensitive tests for prostate or breast cancer, many people are unnecessarily labelled as having “cancer.” However, in many cases, such findings might never have become life-threatening. Despite that, patients suffer excessive mental stress and side effects of treatment even before anything serious develops.

Citing findings from a Cochrane review, Dr. O’Sullivan says, “Diagnostic screening is never zero-risk. If you look for disease in healthy people, some will inevitably get ‘overtreated’. While some lives may be saved, many others will end up consuming unnecessary medications or facing risks of surgery without true need.”

Solutions and Recommendations
Firstly, doctors should reassure patients through proper patient counseling before making a diagnosis, reminding them that not every symptom requires a label. Many people can recover simply through lifestyle changes, psychological support, or timely advice.

Secondly, if any “suspicious” result arises in medical tests, it is important to provide patients with sufficient information and time rather than instantly alarming them. “Watchful waiting” or observation is beneficial in many cancer screenings.

Thirdly, parents or patients themselves should verify information and seek guidance before running to a specialist for every trivial symptom. Not everything seen or read on blogs, YouTube, or social media should be self-applied; professional advice from doctors and experts should be prioritized.

Fourth, along with raising health awareness, we need the right infrastructure—one that ensures patients have access to necessary mental health services, counseling support, and effective teamwork among specialists.

An Expert’s Final View
According to Suzanne O’Sullivan, overdiagnosis has become a silent “epidemic” in today’s world. She notes, “All of us want what’s best—we want to detect diseases early and give prompt treatment. But by rushing to label major diseases for minor symptoms, patients may be mentally harmed. As a result, even genuine patients suffer anxiety before receiving real treatment, and wider mistrust of the medical system develops in society.”

Many healthcare professionals and psychologists now say we should exercise more restraint in healthcare—prioritizing patients’ overall wellbeing and mental comfort over simply increasing the number of diagnoses. Because at the end of the day, the true goal is not to increase disease labeling, but to achieve genuine recovery.

The Final Word
Rini’s story is not particularly rare. Hundreds of similar stories play out every day at busy city medical centers. As a result, many people receive unnecessary ‘patient’ labels in the name of awareness, which robs them of their mental peace. “It is essential to take care of both body and mind, so we must focus not just on diagnosis, but also on improving the quality of disease awareness and routes to recovery”—this is the view of psychologist Syeda Anuja Rahman.

Now is the time to pause. We need to realize—not every symptom is a disease, and a diagnosis does not always bring a magical solution. Sometimes, waiting, observation, and trust in the fundamentals of life may actually be the real keys to wellbeing. As a responsible news outlet, we hope the medical community and society will work together to tackle this crisis of overdiagnosis, so that not even one more ‘Rini’ loses her childhood or confidence without cause.