Receiving & Providing Crisis Support for Neurodivergent Young People

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Experiences Receiving and Providing Crisis Support: perspectives of neurodivergent young people and the staff supporting them

  • IRAS ID

    358040

  • Contact name

    Nichola Livermore

  • Contact email

    NMJT197@live.rhul.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Royal Holloway University of London

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 6 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Research has shown that children and young people are needing emergency support due to their mental health in higher numbers since the coronavirus pandemic. This will usually be provided by crisis services which offer urgent support for young people when their lives are at risk because of their mental distress.

    Young people who are autistic and have attention hyperactivity deficit disorder (ADHD) are more likely to act on thoughts about suicide or harm themselves when distressed compared to other young people. Considering this, it is important that neurodivergent young people receive the right support from crisis services. It is currently difficult to ensure that this happens because neurodivergent young people are often not involved in research about crisis support.

    This study aims to ask neurodivergent young people, and staff who have worked with them, about their experiences of crisis support in the NHS and what they think should be different. This will be used to help understand what their experience of crisis care is like and how we can use this to improve the care neurodivergent young people receive.

  • REC name

    East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    26/EM/0006

  • Date of REC Opinion

    10 Feb 2026

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion