The New York Times (10/3, Berry) reported on the trend of how the revelation of “a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder” has helped many midlife patients who spent “years of inarticulate unease in social situations” become “freed by the framework of neurodivergence, and embraced by the community that came along with it.” Reasons for this trend include “a change in diagnostic practices, as we apply medical labels to ever milder versions of disease. There are many reasons for this: The shame that once accompanied many disorders has lifted. Screening for mental health problems is now common in schools. Social media gives us the tools to diagnose ourselves. And clinicians, in a time of mental health crisis, see an opportunity to treat illnesses early.” A study published in August in BJPsych Bulletin labeled this phenomenon the “Rumpelstiltskin effect.”
Related Links:
— The New York Times (requires login and subscription)