Profile
Project Title: Addressing mental health disparity in neurodivergent youth: An intersectional approach to mental health assessments
Summary: Adolescence is a period of heightened susceptibility to mental health challenges, with neurodivergent youth potentially facing even greater risks than their neurotypical peers. Despite this increased vulnerability, neurodivergent youth often encounter significant barriers to receiving prompt recognition for their mental health challenges. Given that clinical diagnoses are often required to access appropriate support, the lack of early recognition is of concern. However, the reasons behind this disparity remain unclear.
A major issue is that existing mental health assessments are typically designed for neurotypical individuals. Characteristics commonly seen in neurodivergent individuals (e.g., alexithymia) may affect how they experience and present their mental health challenges. This can impact how they respond to mental health assessments and how clinicians interpret their symptoms, potentially leading to misdiagnosis and/or underdiagnosis. Additionally, existing research often focuses on individuals from white privileged backgrounds, overlooking how the intersection of neurodivergence with marginalised/minoritised identities can uniquely impact mental health outcomes. Furthermore, many studies focus on singular forms of neurodivergence, despite the reality that many individuals are multiply neurodivergent.
This study aims to explore how neurodivergent youth experience and present their mental health challenges compared to their neurotypical peers, with a particular focus on those from marginalised/minoritised backgrounds. It also seeks to co-produce a new mental health assessment tool specifically tailored to the needs of neurodivergent individuals, using an intersectional approach. In order to address these aims, the study will use a mix of quantitative, qualitative, and participatory approaches.
This project is being carried out in partnership with Embracing Complexity and Autistica.
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