Autism Research Highlights Barriers to Mental Health Support

Autistic children and young people face significant challenges when seeking help for their mental health difficulties, according to a new study from Liverpool John Moores University. The research found that parents and caregivers often encounter barriers when trying to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), leading to a lack of effective support and interventions. The study aimed to explore the experiences of parents seeking help from CAMHS and gain their perceptions of the service's accessibility. The findings highlight the need for a more neuro-inclusive and personalized approach in CAMHS, as well as the importance of providing timely and effective support for autistic young people.

Key Takeaways:

• Autistic children and young people are at increased risk of mental health difficulties, but often face barriers when seeking help from CAMHS.
• Parents and caregivers reported ongoing struggles when seeking help from CAMHS, including a lack of reasonable adjustments and offers of ineffective or inappropriate therapies.
• Children's mental health difficulties either did not improve or declined to the point of crisis in many cases.
• Professionals who were kind and compassionate were recognized by parents, but there is a need for more neuro-inclusive and personalized approaches.
• Diagnostic overshadowing, high thresholds for assessment, and a lack of professional knowledge about autism and care pathways are barriers to CAMHS for autistic children and young people.
• Healthcare policies should ensure that all CAMHS professionals receive neuroaffirmative training and that resources/funding are provided for appropriate adjustments and early support.

Statistics:

• 300 parents/carers took part in the study from across the United Kingdom.
• Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data using qualitative content analysis.
• 60% of parents reported that their child's mental health difficulties did not improve or declined to the point of crisis.
• 70% of parents felt that their child's mental health difficulties were not acknowledged by CAMHS.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Findings from Liverpool John Moores University Provides New Data on Autism ('accumulating Harm and Waiting for Crisis': Parents' Perspectives of Accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for Their Autistic Child Experiencing Mental ...). Mental Health Weekly Digest. May 26, 2025; p 159.
• 'accumulating Harm and Waiting for Crisis': Parents' Perspectives of Accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services for Their Autistic Child Experiencing Mental Health Difficulties. Autism, 2025.

(References to the original study)