Barriers to recognition of mental health problems and access to support in neurodivergent young people

具有一种或多种神经发育状况症状的年轻人经历更高的心理健康问题（例如，焦虑，抑郁）比他们的同龄人。拥抱复杂性慈善联盟，我们的非HEI合作伙伴，强调了神经分歧的年轻人在获得及时的承认和支持心理健康问题方面面临的重大障碍，但我们仍然没有这些差异的驱动因素的全貌。造成这种知识差距的两个原因是大多数研究都集中在特定的神经发育条件上（例如，自闭症），即使它们共同发生在大多数神经分歧个体中，以及来自白色特权背景的参与者中。该博士项目将寻求提高对心理健康问题的认识，并促进neurodivergent年轻人获得心理健康支持，特别是那些同时发生神经发育状况和属于少数民族的年轻人。利用神经多样性和交叉性的框架，我们将调查接受神经分歧的年轻人所面临的心理健康诊断和支持的障碍，以及共同发生的神经发育困难和种族是否在这些健康差异中发挥作用。我们将使用定量，定性和参与性研究方法的组合，包括一个由有生活经验的神经分歧年轻人组成的研究咨询小组的参与。首先，系统的文献综述将通过总结关于不同类型的神经发育困难和种族的心理健康诊断和支持障碍的研究来突出关键的知识差距。其次，我们将量化神经分歧年轻人相对于具有可比心理健康问题的非神经分歧同龄人在社区中获得心理健康诊断和支持的挑战，并测试共同发生的神经发育困难和属于少数群体的影响。这将利用现有的各种纵向队列，提供父母/照顾者和年轻人报告的神经发育困难和心理健康问题的信息，以及社区获得的心理健康诊断和支持。最后，调查和焦点小组与神经分歧的年轻人和他们的父母/照顾者将调查他们的生活经验，并确定可能的解决方案，以解决这些心理健康的差距。拥抱复杂性将支持所有的研究和传播活动，包括招募和参与不同群体的神经分歧的年轻人为新的数据收集和咨询小组。这项工作将解决通常被排除在研究之外的神经分歧年轻人的优先事项，并提高对这一人群的心理健康需求和差异的认识。研究结果将为临床医生和教育工作者提供培训和指导方针。

Young people with symptoms of one or more neurodevelopmental conditions experience much higher rates of mental health problems (e.g., anxiety, depression)than their peers. The Embracing Complexity charity coalition, our non-HEI partner, has highlighted the significant barriers that neurodivergent young people face in receiving prompt recognition and support for mental health problems, but we still do not have a full picture of the drivers of these disparities. Two reasons for this knowledge gap are that most studies have focused on specific neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., autism), even though they co-occur in most neurodivergent individuals, and on participants from White privileged backgrounds. This PhD project will seek to improve awareness of mental health problems and facilitate access to mental health support in neurodivergent young people, particularly those with co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions and belonging to minority ethnic groups. Drawing on the frameworks of neurodiversity and intersectionality, we will investigate barriers to receiving a mental health diagnosis and support faced by neurodivergent young people, and whether co-occurring neurodevelopmental difficulties and ethnicity play a role in these health disparities. We will use a mix of quantitative, qualitative and participatory research methods, including the involvement of a research advisory group of neurodivergent young people with lived experience. First, a systematic literature review will highlight key knowledge gaps by summarising research onthe barriers to mental health diagnosis and support across types of neurodevelopmental difficulties and ethnicity.Second, we will quantify the challenges in accessing amental health diagnosis and support in the community experienced by neurodivergent young people relative to non-neurodivergent peers with comparable mental health problems, and test the impact of co-occurring neurodevelopmental difficulties and of belonging to minority groups. This will capitalise on diverse existing longitudinal cohorts with information on neurodevelopmental difficulties and mental health problems reported by parents/carers and young people alongside mental health diagnoses and support accessed in the community. Finally, surveys and focus groups with neurodivergent young people and their parents/carers will investigate their lived experiences and identify possible solutions for addressing these mental health disparities. Embracing Complexity will support all research and dissemination activities, including recruitment and involvement of diverse groups of neurodivergent young people for the new data collection and advisory group. This work will address the priorities of neurodivergent young people typically excluded from research and improve awareness of mental health needs and disparities in this population. Findings will inform training provision and guidelines for clinicians and educators working with neuro divergent young people.