{"id":15298,"date":"2026-09-08T11:35:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T11:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/culturalleft.org\/cl\/2026\/09\/08\/sloppy-documentary-misrepresents-adhd-reviews-culture-socialist-worker\/"},"modified":"2026-09-08T11:35:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T11:35:32","slug":"sloppy-documentary-misrepresents-adhd-reviews-culture-socialist-worker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/culturalleft.org\/cl\/2026\/09\/08\/sloppy-documentary-misrepresents-adhd-reviews-culture-socialist-worker\/","title":{"rendered":"Sloppy documentary misrepresents ADHD Reviews & Culture – Socialist Worker"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"School\n

Documentary misrepresents why diagnoses of ADHD are on the rise among children<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00adThe Great ADHD Myth? recently screened by Channel 4 was a \u00adwilfully sensationalist exercise in disability denial.<\/p>\n

Its presenter, author and NHS psychiatrist Max Pemberton, told viewers that ADHD is \u201cnot a neurodevelopmental disorder\u201d but \u201ca social construct\u201d.<\/p>\n

At different points it is both explicitly \u00adstated and implied that ADHD was invented to \u00admedicate away difficult or inconvenient behaviour.<\/p>\n

The programme raised \u00adconcerns about the rising number of people diagnosed with ADHD, as well as the medication many rely on to manage their ADHD. As psychologist Sarah Warley told us, \u201cWe are going to look back and think did we actually put a chemical cosh on an entire developing generation of brains?\u201d<\/p>\n

These opinions centre around an experiment with Mason, a ten year old boy who had been prescribed successively stronger doses of medication for his ADHD. He was filmed as he tried stopping his meds for six weeks.<\/p>\n

Mason had to give up video games and stick to a diet and exercise regime. After three weeks, he felt \u201cmore like myself\u201d. At the end, the family explained that although Mason was struggling at school, he would stay off the medication.<\/p>\n

The charity ADHD UK \u00adcomplained to the Ofcom regulator. It pointed out that it was only in the end credits that viewers were told that Mason went back on medication and his \u00adschoolwork improved. So, even though the experiment disproved Pemberton\u2019s case, Channel 4 went ahead anyway.<\/p>\n

The Great ADHD Myth? was a shabby and one\u2011sided piece of sensationalist journalism.<\/p>\n

Pemberton told us that ten years ago \u201cADHD was hardly known among adults\u201d\u2014\u00adwithout telling us why.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d expect any \u00adpsychiatrist to know at least two reasons. First, ADHD was only accepted as a valid diagnosis<\/a> for adults in Britain in 2008. And the diagnostic criteria were significantly widened in 2013.<\/p>\n

Cognitive \u00adneuroscientist Katya Rubia made an \u00adappearance, saying that the diagnostic criteria for ADHD is \u201ca consensus of opinions\u201d.<\/p>\n

After the broadcast, \u00adhowever, Rubia attacked the \u00adprogramme. She told The Guardian newspaper she took part only to provide an \u00adalternative view to the film-makers.<\/p>\n

But she said that her \u00adcomments had been \u201c\u00adcherry\u00adpicked, largely \u00admisrepresented, truncated and \u00adpresented out of context to make them fit into their narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Rubia added, \u00adpromoting the idea that ADHD doesn\u2019t exist is dangerous at a time \u201cwhere mental health \u00adconditions are escalating and where there is an urgent need for early diagnosis and early treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also warned of the \u00addangers in encouraging \u00adparents to take children with ADHD off medication, as untreated ADHD is associated with risks such as increased mental distress, substance abuse and suicide.<\/p>\n

Sami Timimi, a \u00adpsychiatrist and Marxist, also appeared in the documentary. He stressed that diagnostic labels, by attributing the roots of people\u2019s difficulties within the individual, serve the interests of our rulers.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot to be said for this view. However, a \u00addiagnosis provides a \u00adgateway to \u00adsupport.<\/p>\n

We can agree that the \u00addiagnostic criteria for ADHD are \u201csocially \u00adconstructed\u201d \u00adwithout \u00adconcluding that it doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

Greater social awareness means more people are being assessed for ADHD\u2014because they need help<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Channel 4 knew what they were doing when they \u00adcommissioned this \u00adprogramme. Pemberton isn\u2019t just an NHS psychiatrist\u2014he has also written a weekly column for the Daily Mail for the past eleven years. <\/p>\n

The Great ADHD Myth? will deepen popular distrust of mainstream science and medicine at a time when the very services they provide are under threat.<\/p>\n

Andy Burnham has \u00adindicated he will make more cuts to disability \u00adbenefits to pay for more arms \u00adspending.<\/p>\n

With Reform UK promising to axe the Equality Act if they form the next \u00adgovernment, it\u2019s a particularly dangerous time to promote disability denial.<\/p>\n