What is Neurodivergence?

Neurodivergent people may require support with:

• mental health (such as depression, anxiety, trauma-related conditions)

• interoception differences (emotional dysregulation and understanding emotions)

• executive function differences

• communication differences and

• relationship differences.

For example, Autistic people may be at a higher risk of trauma-related conditions such as PTSD.  Research also indicates that Neurodivergent people are at a higher risk for mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety.  The most common anxiety disorders for autistic people include specific phobia’s (30%) and social anxiety and agoraphobia (up to 17%) (APA, 2022).

This is especially true if they have received a later diagnosis. A recent study found that 80% of autistic females were diagnosed after the age of 18, which may lead to a significant impact on their mental health (McCrossin, 2022).