Eoin

So this morning, we ask if there’s a complication with welfare review. The PM has written a very watery non-committal piece about NEETS. The Milburn review is next month. But have they just received an inconveniently timed new intervention - the Fonagy review. We discuss this on today’s podcast *What is Fonagy*? After then Health Secretary Wes Streeting said in March 2025, that “mental wellbeing, illness, it’s a spectrum and I think definitely there’s an overdiagnosis”, he commissioned Professor Peter Fonagy to look at this and feed into the Milburn report. It was published earlier this month *What does it say*?  Fonagy appears to challenge the main point of Milburn. His report says: “Low participation should not be interpreted as lack of ability, motivation or aspiration. Work is not invariably beneficial, and an early return is not always appropriate.” He also says “secure, well-designed and supported work can promote recovery, while insecure or unsupported work can worsen mental health” The review rejects the "snowflake generation" narrative, finding a genuine, steep increase in mental ill-health (such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, and eating disorders) over the last three decades, particularly among young people aged 16 to 24. And on ADHD and Autism, found “On the basis of evidence available to us we cannot conclude that overdiagnosis is occurring at scale”.  *Why a complication*? Milburn is likely to recommend that - apart from those with severe and enduring disabilities - all financial support for young people should have work and training support and requirements attached. Arguing that work per-se is automatically good, as Milburn seems to, is now challenged by Fonagy. And where drawing the line on “severe and enduring disabilities” is more complicated. Listen: