The opinion of the author of this specific article: Unfortunately, the bias of the current system is towards overmedicalization, overdiagnosis, and overtreatment. The implementation of universal screening is likely to worsen these problems. In the past, some physicians gave annual chest X-rays to smokers. This was a form of universal screening in response to concerns about lung cancer. At first blush, this sounds reasonable. The problem? False-positive results. Studies showed that annual X-rays did not prevent mortality. They did cause anxiety in patients. And incidental findings were common, causing unnecessary biopsies, procedures, and interventions. Current screening guidelines now target high-risk individuals. This is an example where the medical establishment carefully weighed the risks and benefits of universal screening and concluded that it was not in the interests of patients, and with a well-defined disease in mind, lung cancer. Mental health diagnosis is not like cancer. It is a fuzzy, subjective enterprise. We don’t have blood tests or brain scans; we have flawed checklists and clinical judgment. And obviously, being improperly identified as having a mental disorder comes with a real cost for the child. Screening every single child makes it inevitable that some healthy children will be thrust into the mental health pipeline. Even assuming that the questionnaires work reasonably well, a 15% false-positive rate is likely. Combine this false-positive rate with twice-a-year universal screening from grades 3-12, and your child will have 20 separate chances to be wrongly identified as having a mental health problem…at which point the government ostensibly gets involved in the mental health of your child. It’s easy to imagine the catastrophic results. A child’s mental health screen inaccurately identifies a mental health problem; the busy therapist confirms a diagnosis; there’s eventually a referral to a psychiatrist, who prescribes psychotropic medication. Out of 20 screenings, this only has to happen once to alter your child’s life forever.

A new study shows that exposure to ADHD misinformation on TikTok significantly lowers students’ ability to accurately understand the disorder. As one of the world’s fastest-growing social media platforms, TikTok holds particular influence among young adults. In the U.S. alone, more than 136 million users are over the age of 18, and about 45 million of them fall within the college-age range. For many students, the platform has become more than a place for viral entertainment—it’s also a go-to source for information. In fact, nearly 40% of Americans now use TikTok as a search engine. Although TikTok can provide helpful tips and instructional content, it also carries risks. When it comes to topics like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), users should approach content with caution, since health-related misinformation can spread quickly and undermine accurate understanding.