The elephant in the room: neurodivergence in psychiatry
Summary Across psychiatry, neurodivergence is highly prevalent yet under-recognised. Psychiatric vulnerability, treatment response and prognosis are critically shaped by co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism and tic disorder. Clinical recognition of neurodivergence and effective management can mitigate mental illness, prevent suicide and reduce societal costs. Services and training should adapt accordingly.
Authors
- Rebecca M. Dew (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0771-5530)
- Hugo Critchley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2445-9284)
- Jessica Eccles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0062-1216)
- Oliver Dale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2724-4326)
- Ruchika Gajwani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1199-320X)
- Jane Green (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0858-0500)
- Conor James Davidson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8796-1597)
- H. Minnis
- Ulrich Müller-Sedgwick
Institutions
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School (GB)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GB)
- Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- VA New Jersey Health Care System (US)
- Community Connections (US)
- University of Glasgow (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The British Journal of Psychiatry
- Published
- 2026-03-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2026.10563
- Primary Topic
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00