{"id":597304,"date":"2026-05-22T03:09:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T03:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/597304\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T03:09:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T03:09:19","slug":"online-misinformation-about-adhd-and-autism-a-significant-public-health-risk-nurses-warn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/597304\/","title":{"rendered":"Online misinformation about ADHD and autism a \u2018significant public health risk\u2019, nurses warn"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nurses warn they are having to \u201cconstantly\u201d battle misinformation spread on social media<\/p>\n

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\"Nurses<\/p>\n

Nurses warn they are having to \u201cconstantly\u201d battle misinformation spread on social media.<\/p>\n

Picture:
\nGetty<\/p>\n

Nurses warn they are having to \u201cconstantly\u201d battle misinformation as social media muddies public understanding of ADHD and autism, damaging morale and leaving staff on the \u201cfront line of confusion, fear and scepticism”.<\/p>\n

While social media has helped break down some of the stigma surrounding ADHD<\/a> and autism, nurses have warned it is also fuelling widespread misunderstanding about what the conditions really are.<\/p>\n

Speaking at the Royal College of Nursing\u2019s annual congress, nurses said long waiting lists, complex symptoms and an unstable political climate were pushing patients towards unreliable online sources for clinical advice.<\/p>\n

They warned the spread of misinformation<\/a> was having a direct impact on frontline staff, with one RCN nurse describing the constant need to correct false claims as \u201cemotionally exhausting and time-consuming\u201d.<\/p>\n

Charlotte Glynn, chair of the union\u2019s Women\u2019s Health Forum, told delegates: \u201cWhile myths and misinformation have always existed in healthcare, the speed and reach of online information today means that false and sometimes dangerous claims can spread to large audiences almost instantly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: Young people \u2018unforgivably failed\u2019 as 500,000 turn up at A&E amid mental health crisis<\/a><\/p>\n

Read more: Fourth case of meningitis confirmed as Reading junior school pupil<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Nurses<\/p>\n

Nurses are being forced to navigate longer waiting lists and more complex presentations due to the spread.<\/p>\n

Picture:
\nGetty<\/p>\n

Mental health nurse Clare Manley highlighted that social media has created a surge in demand for services in autism and ADHD.<\/a><\/p>\n

She said platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have helped people have \u201copen conversations and reduced stigma\u201d but also \u201cheightened expectations\u201d and in some cases have led to a \u201cmisunderstanding of what ADHD and autism truly are\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis inflammation of public perception places strain on stretched services and individuals,\u201d Ms Manley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNurses navigate longer waiting lists<\/a>, complex presentations, and a growing pressure to deliver rapid answers in a system designed for thoughtful, evidence-based assessment. It affects morale, retention, and the emotional labour that we carry.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor patients, social media can shape expectations in ways that don\u2019t always align with clinical reality. Many arrive hoping for instant diagnoses or instant treatment, and more importantly, instant transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UK<\/p>\n

Increased stress, burnout, verbal abuse, and frustration are all also contributing to low morale among nurses.<\/p>\n

Picture:
\nGetty
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Annafleur van Mourik Broekman, who works in public health education specialising in vaccination, told delegates she deals with the impact of misinformation<\/a> \u201cevery single day\u201d.<\/p>\n

She also stressed that nurses are also members of the public and are \u201cnot immune\u201d to misinformation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re seeing the tip of the iceberg now, and I fear we\u2019re not prepared for what is to come,\u201d Ms Mourik Broekman said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI-generated misinformation<\/a> content has been identified as a significant risk to public health in multiple scientific studies, and has potential to deliver personalised information and advice. I think this is a threat we should take really, really seriously.”<\/p>\n

Responding to the debate, Professor Lynn Woolsey, chief nursing officer at the Royal College of Nursing, said: \u201cThere has been a worrying rise in health misinformation online and via social media in recent years, which is a direct threat to patient safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cPatients are being misinformed and left confused, while nursing staff are too often having to correct misinformation. It is leading to dangerous consequences for patients, including vaccine hesitancy<\/a> and refusing evidence-based treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cNursing staff are highly educated clinical experts, but they need support in challenging the rise in health misinformation. It cannot be left to nursing staff alone to push back on dangerous narratives and misinformation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A protester holds up a placard at a demonstration against vaccinations and government restrictions designed to fight the spread of coronavirus in 2020.<\/p>\n

Picture:
\nGetty
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

Peace Yaa Akorli, of the RCN\u2019s eastern region, said: \u201cNurses are increasingly placed on the front line of confusion, fear, and public scepticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs nurses, we are often the first person patients turn to for reassurance and clarity. But constantly correcting misinformation can be emotionally exhausting, time consuming and, at times, damaging the trust between the healthcare professionals and the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has a direct impact on the nursing workforce; increased stress, burnout, verbal abuse, and frustration contribute to low morale and staff retention challenges.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNurses are expected to not only provide safe clinical care, but also to fight an ongoing battle against myths and false narratives.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Ms Akorli said the situation is also an \u201copportunity\u201d for nurses, who can \u201crebuild the trust and empower patients too with accurate information\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nurses warn they are having to \u201cconstantly\u201d battle misinformation spread on social media Want LBC stories before everyone…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":597305,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-597304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=597304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597304\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/597305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=597304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=597304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=597304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}