Pediatric neuropsychologist Prof. Sam Goldstein wrote an article for Psychology Today titled An Epidemic of Need: The Surge in Childhood Psychiatric Diagnoses (22 April 2025).
« Diagnoses have increased due to awareness and incentives, not a rise in pathology. »
- « In the year 2000, 8.6 out of every 100 American children were identified as having a learning disability. By 2025, that number is expected to rise to 15.3 per 100.
- Depression in children has more than doubled during this same period, increasing from 2.8 to 6.1 per 100 children.
- At the same time, anxiety has risen from 4.1 to 6.1 per 100.
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown one of the most dramatic increases of all. In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an autism prevalence of roughly 1 in 150 children. By 2025, projections based on existing trends suggest a prevalence nearing 1 in 36, or approximately 2.8 per 100 children. This represents an increase of more than fourfold in just over two decades (Salehi, Jaka, Lotfi, Ahmad, & Saeidi, 2025). »
« Rethinking childhood diagnosis in an age of expanding definitions. »
« Central to this transformation is the shift in psychiatric diagnosis marked by the transition to the DSM-5, the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Historically, diagnosis operated on a categorical model: One either had a disorder or did not. The DSM-5, however, embraces a dimensional framework that allows clinicians to consider symptoms along a spectrum. Children can now be diagnosed not only by meeting rigid diagnostic thresholds but also by displaying patterns of behavior that were once regarded as subclinical. This dimensional model is designed to better reflect the complexity of mental health and to ensure that children with milder or emerging symptoms receive the help they need. »
« However, critics have warned that such an expansive approach may inflate the diagnostic bubble. »
« In many school systems, access to special education services and classroom accommodations is contingent upon receiving a formal diagnosis. Financial and institutional incentives, particularly in the realm of autism and learning disabilities, create pressures on families and clinicians alike to secure diagnoses—not merely for understanding but as a means to access essential support (Johnson, 2015). Some researchers describe this as a misallocation of resources, where a diagnosis becomes a strategic necessity rather than a pure reflection of clinical need (Whitely & Raven, 2012). »
Dr. Goldstein has authored, co-edited, or co-authored more than 50 books including
- Tenacity in Children: Nurturing the Seven Instincts for Lifetime Success by Sam Goldstein and Robert B. Brooks (2021)
- Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors: Using the Building Blocks Model to Guide Intervention and Classroom Management, 3rd Edition by Nancy Mather, Sam Goldstein, Katie Eklund, Elaine Cheesman, Deborah Rhein, Dr. Annmarie Urso (2015)
Articles of Interest 