More diagnoses due to less contextualization

In recent years, we have seen a sharp increase in autism diagnoses and other psychiatric classifications. An important part of this can be explained by the fact that less and less attention is paid to context in society and care.

Two structural causes

Society has become more complex:
- In the past, religion or ideology offered clear frameworks
- Now there is an abundance of information, especially through social media
- this requires more context sensitivity from each individual
The informal safety net has been weakened:
- both parents work
- grandparents are less available
- Neighbors hardly play a role anymore
- people who have difficulty contextualizing are more likely to fall by the wayside

Consequence

The number of people with context blindness remains relatively constant, but:

In the past, they were supported by clear frameworks and a strong social network
now they get into trouble more often
as a result, they are more likely to be diagnosed with a psychiatric label, such as autism

Critical note

More diagnoses does not automatically mean that there is "more autism" or "more depression". It could just as easily point to a society that takes less account of differences in context sensitivity.

Conclusion

Overdiagnosis occurs when we contextualize too little. The more we integrate context into care and society, the less there is a need for psychiatric labels.