Improving the Experience Of Children and Young People with Mental Health Problems - Assessing the Scale of the Problem at UHSussex

Children and young people with mental health problems are arriving at three Sussex hospitals in significant numbers, but staff often do not know whether these patients are also neurodivergent. This study reviews hospital records from 2023 and 2024 to find out how many of those admitted to emergency departments or paediatric wards for mental health issues had a diagnosed or suspected neurodevelopmental condition such as autism or ADHD. The problem is that standard hospital environments and staff training rarely account for neurodivergence. A young person in distress who also processes sensory information differently may find bright lights, loud noises, or unfamiliar routines overwhelming, making their mental health crisis worse. Without knowing the scale of this overlap, hospitals cannot design better care. If this research succeeds, it will give hospital managers and clinicians a clear number: the proportion of young mental health patients who are neurodivergent. That figure can drive practical changes—adjusting ward lighting and noise levels, training staff in neurodivergent-friendly communication, and strengthening links with community neurodevelopmental services. The result could be a hospital experience that does not add to a young person’s distress, and that gets them the right support sooner.