No, they are related to the pool of people being diagnosed.
You're only getting a diagnosis if a) you have access to a psychiatrist and b) you are running into enough issues in your daily life to warrant having it looked into.
Life has gotten a lot more complex over the past few decades, so people run into issues more often - and earlier in life. Someone who would've just been "a bit of a weird guy" 50 years ago is getting an autism diagnosis today, simply because these days they run into issues as a child and are being put in front of a psychiatrist.
Even 50 years ago they weren't just slightly odd people who were otherwise happy to exist in a simpler society. Those people ran into the same issues and turned to alcohol, drugs, and suicide. The only difference is that nobody understood why they were suffering.
No, they are related to the pool of people being diagnosed.
You're only getting a diagnosis if a) you have access to a psychiatrist and b) you are running into enough issues in your daily life to warrant having it looked into.
Life has gotten a lot more complex over the past few decades, so people run into issues more often - and earlier in life. Someone who would've just been "a bit of a weird guy" 50 years ago is getting an autism diagnosis today, simply because these days they run into issues as a child and are being put in front of a psychiatrist.
Even 50 years ago they weren't just slightly odd people who were otherwise happy to exist in a simpler society. Those people ran into the same issues and turned to alcohol, drugs, and suicide. The only difference is that nobody understood why they were suffering.