Supporting mental health and neurodiversity in young people

Reported by Megan Buckley, Policy Intern, Centre for Science and Policy

Supporting mental health and neurodiversity in young people

This session explored the challenges of supporting children and young people with neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodiversity and mental health conditions. Chaired by Loic Menzies, Chief Research Officer, Centre for Education Systems and Senior Research Associate, Intellectual Forum, Jesus College, University of Cambridge, the session brought together leading experts from academia and government to share evidence regarding the prevalence of conditions and insights on how policy and practice could evolve to improve outcomes.

The panel included Professor Duncan Astle, Programme Leader, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge; Charlotte Kume-Holland, Deputy Director, Mental Health Strategy and Delivery, Department for Health and Social Care; and Professor Tamsin Ford, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge.

Download a copy of Professor Ford's presentation and Professor Duncan Astle's presentation.

Loic Menzies outlined the urgency of addressing these unmet needs, noting that in 2022, one in four 17-19 year olds were identified as having a mental health condition. Furthermore, A&E admissions for psychiatric conditions in under 18s tripled between 2010 and 2017.

Professor Duncan Astle shared ‘6 things worth knowing about human brain development’. He emphasised the long developmental timeframe of the human brain, which allows for a great diversity in function. Crucially, it is during this extended developmental window that all common neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions emerge. The origins of these conditions have complex underpinnings, meaning there are no simple biomarkers for these conditions; diagnosis instead is based on meeting specific behavioural criteria. He highlighted the strong risk-factors associating neurodevelopmental conditions with mental health issues.

Charlotte Kume-Holland underlined the need for cross-departmental initiatives for earlier intervention and prevention. She stressed the importance of addressing the socio-economic determinants of poor mental health and advocated for a nuanced understanding of mental healthcare provision. Loic Menzies added that the UK’s system is heavily reliant on diagnosis to access support in contrast with other countries.

Professor Tamsin Ford called for better data and more rigorous surveys to understand prevalence. She cited a longitudinal study (1999-2023) that, whilst showing a statistically significant increase in children requiring interventions, cautioned that the rise is relatively modest compared to media portrayals. Professor Ford argued for focusing on making the education system more accommodating for neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and ADHD, and improving access to services for children from low socio-economic or ethnic minority backgrounds. She refuted claims of over-diagnosis of neurodevelopmental conditions, stating there is no evidence.

The panel then addressed audience questions. On the causes of increased mental health conditions, Professor Ford explained that it’s multifactorial, referencing deprivation, financial insecurity and parental mental health conditions alongside increased social media use. Regarding diagnostic bottlenecks, Professor Astle argued that the current system’s reliance on a diagnosis, which can take years, should be replaced by a needs-based assessment. Professor Ford added that research studies often struggle to recruit children from deprived backgrounds, highlighting the need for more support in less-affluent areas.

Charlotte Kume-Holland highlighted a need for innovative models inspired by international examples to reduce waiting times and identify appropriate services for a child’s needs. The economic cost of not providing adequate support was also raised. Professor Ford used the example of prisons, noting a much higher prevalence of people with ADHD in the prison population than the general population, and Loic Menzies pointed out a similar trend seen in school exclusions. These examples, they concluded, illustrate the cost of not providing early support, though they acknowledged a lack of comprehensive cost-benefit studies.

Finally, Professor Astle suggested that whilst there is sufficient data, the ‘fundamental misunderstanding’ of the developing brain persists. He advocated for a more interdisciplinary approach to looking at the data and a change to the current assessment system.