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

有一种或多种神经发育疾病症状的年轻人比他们的同龄人经历更高的精神健康问题(如焦虑、抑郁)。我们的非HEI合作伙伴--拥抱复杂性慈善联盟强调了神经分化的年轻人在获得及时识别和支持精神健康问题方面面临的重大障碍，但我们仍然没有全面了解这些差异的驱动因素。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状况(例如自闭症)上，尽管它们在大多数神经分化的个人中共同出现，以及来自白人特权背景的参与者。这一博士项目将寻求提高对精神健康问题的认识，并促进神经分化的年轻人获得精神健康支持，特别是那些患有共同神经发育疾病和属于少数族裔群体的年轻人。利用神经多样性和交叉性的框架，我们将调查神经分化年轻人面临的接受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，包括由具有生活经验的神经分化年轻人组成的研究咨询小组的参与。首先，系统的文献回顾将通过总结关于神经发育困难和种族类型的精神健康诊断和支持的障碍的研究来突出关键的知识差距。第二，我们将量化神经分化的年轻人相对于具有类似心理健康问题的非神经分化的同龄人在社区获得医院健康诊断和支持方面的挑战，并测试共同发生的神经发育困难和属于少数群体的影响。这将利用现有的不同纵向队列，包括父母/照顾者和年轻人报告的关于神经发育困难和精神健康问题的信息，以及社区获得的精神健康诊断和支持。最后，对神经分化的年轻人及其父母/照顾者进行的调查和焦点小组将调查他们的生活经历，并确定解决这些心理健康差距的可能解决方案。接受复杂性将支持所有研究和传播活动，包括招募和参与新的数据收集和咨询小组的不同群体的神经分歧的年轻人。这项工作将解决通常被排除在研究之外的神经分化年轻人的优先事项，并提高对这一人群中的心理健康需求和差异的认识。这些发现将为临床医生和教育工作者提供培训和指导方针，帮助他们处理神经分化的年轻人。

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.