08/04/2025
We love this open letter from Yellow Ladybugs in response to Pat McGorry's recent concerns about ADHD.
An Open Letter in Response to Professor Patrick McGorry’s Comments on ADHD & “Fashionable” Diagnosis From Yellow Ladybugs – an autistic-ADHD-led organisation
Dear Professor McGorry,
As an AUDHD-led organisation committed to neuro-affirming and trauma-informed principles, we were disheartened to read your recent remarks regarding the rise in ADHD diagnoses—particularly your suggestion that this increase may be driven by “fashion” and “social contagion”. While we agree that the mental health system is under significant strain and that commercialisation of health services raises valid concerns, it is essential that we approach this conversation with accuracy, empathy, and a firm commitment to dismantling stigma—not reinforcing it.
Let us be clear: ADHD is not a trend. It is a legitimate form of neurodivergence. Framing the increase in diagnoses as partially driven by “fashion” undermines the lived experiences of those with ADHD, and perpetuates a harmful narrative that suggests people—particularly adults—are exaggerating or inventing their challenges to access medication or labels.
Rising Diagnoses Reflect Unmet Needs, Not Overdiagnosis: The rise in ADHD diagnoses, particularly among women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals, reflects a long-overdue recognition of presentations that have historically been overlooked. For decades, ADHD was mostly identified in young, hyperactive boys, while those with quieter, internalised traits were mislabelled, dismissed, or missed altogether. Many were instead diagnosed with anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions—missing the underlying neurodivergence entirely.
The original diagnostic criteria were based on narrow presentations and failed to capture the full diversity of ADHD. As our understanding of neurodivergence grows, it’s only natural that more people are recognising their experiences and seeking answers—not because it’s “fashionable,” but because the science is finally catching up.
To conflate increased recognition with overdiagnosis is misleading. What we are seeing is a long-overdue correction to systemic underdiagnosis—not an epidemic of false positives.
Adult Diagnosis Is Valid and Necessary: Your suggestion that “highly successful people” may not need a diagnosis because their experiences don’t interfere with work or life reveals a common misunderstanding: that challenges must be visible to be valid.
Many adults with ADHD have spent decades working twice as hard to meet expectations, often without support. They may appear outwardly successful, while privately experiencing chronic stress, burnout, shame, and exhaustion. This is not a lack of “real need”—it’s a reflection of how effectively many people have masked or adapted under immense pressure.
Receiving a diagnosis later in life can be a powerful, healing experience. It offers people an explanation—not an excuse—and opens up new pathways for understanding and support.
Commercial Pressures Are a Systemic Issue—Not the Fault of Consumers: We share your concerns about private assessment pathways and the cost barriers that make diagnosis inaccessible for many. But it’s unfair and harmful to frame people seeking answers as part of the problem.
The overwhelming majority of people do not arrive at an ADHD diagnosis casually. They come after years—sometimes decades—of confusion, misdiagnosis, or being told they simply need to “try harder.” They are not being swept up in a fad. They are seeking understanding, validation, and access to support in a system that has often failed them.
Yes, better regulation is needed—but not at the expense of those finally being recognised.
“Everyone Has a Bit of ADHD” Is a Harmful Myth
You refer to ADHD traits existing on a spectrum, suggesting “almost everyone qualifies to some extent.” While trait-based or dimensional models of ADHD can be helpful in research, this framing blurs the line between common life challenges and the real-world impacts experienced by neurodivergent people.
ADHD is not about occasionally losing your keys or disliking paperwork. It involves consistent differences in attention, memory, executive functioning, and emotional regulation that can significantly affect how someone navigates daily life. Minimising these realities risks dismissing people’s experiences and reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
This kind of language not only fuels stigma but leads to greater self-doubt, especially among women and gender-diverse people who already question whether their struggles are “enough” to seek support.
What We Need Moving Forward
You call for a review of diagnostic thresholds. We call for a review of the frameworks themselves—to ensure they include the full range of ADHD experiences, especially those that have been overlooked for too long.
You suggest greater regulation of private services. We agree, but this must be balanced with a commitment to improve access, equity, and public funding so people aren’t forced into expensive systems to be heard.
You warn that people without “real need” may crowd out others. We urge caution with this framing. Need is not always visible or easily measured. And many of the people now being diagnosed are not new to struggle—they are new to being believed.
Leadership Matters—And So Does Messaging
What concerns us most is the influence of your role. As the Executive Director of Orygen and a leading voice in youth mental health, your words carry enormous weight. When you cast doubt on those seeking ADHD diagnoses—particularly young people—you risk reinforcing the very stigma your organisation claims to challenge.
These views don’t stay in editorials. They ripple through clinical settings, policy decisions, family dynamics, and classroom interactions. And they can do real harm—especially to the very young people we all seek to support.
We Speak from Lived Experience—and Real Data
As an organisation that gave evidence to the 2023 Senate Inquiry into ADHD Assessment and Services, we speak from lived experience and broad community insight. Our submission included responses from over 570 families, most of whom shared stories of misdiagnosis, delayed recognition, and unaffordable assessment pathways. We highlighted how internalised ADHD traits—especially in women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals—continue to be missed or misunderstood. We also raised concerns about the cost of private assessments and the lack of neuro-affirming public options. These are not hypothetical risks. They are the daily experiences of those your comments may unintentionally silence or invalidate.
Let’s work toward a mental health system that is inclusive, informed, and affirming of neurodivergent experiences. One that validates people’s stories instead of pathologising their pursuit of understanding.
Sincerely,
Katie Koullas
On behalf of Yellow Ladybugs
www.yellowladybugs.com.au
References:
• Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into ADHD (2023) – Yellow Ladybugs Submission
• DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2022)
• Hinshaw, S. P., & Ellison, K. (2016). ADHD: What Everyone Needs to Know
• Quinn, P. O., & Madhoo, M. (2014). A review of ADHD in women and girls. The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders
• Asherson, P., et al. (2012). Journal of Attention Disorders
• Cook, J. et al. (2021). Masking and mental health in ADHD and autism. Autism in Adulthood
• Barkley, R. A. (2020). ADHD: A Handbook for Diagnosis and Treatment
Article: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/health/conditions/neurodivergence/psychiatrist-pat-mcgorrys-concerns-about-how-adhd-is-diagnosed/news-story/b9ba1c1788d0edac70f47bc428c75c8c
Orygen The University of Melbourne
