Existing literature exploring autism spectrum disorders within female populations predominantly utilises quantitative methodology. A limited number of small-scale, qualitative studies have explored the experiences of adolescent girls with autism spectrum disorder, but adult women have remained largely unheard. This study aims to broaden the…

The purpose of this paper is to engage critically with debates surrounding the mental health and wellbeing agenda for adult community learning (ACL), with particular consideration of creative arts provision. It draws on a qualitative research project involving five creative arts ACL groups in the English West Midlands and two mental health…

Developed and tested key indicators for collaboration between health and social services in mental health. Surveys of stakeholders indicated that collaboration was most effective when there was an agreed-upon strategy. Barriers to collaboration included differences in funding, accountability, governmental guidance, and the status and control of…

Purpose: Young people with developmental language disorder (DLD) have poorer mental health than those without DLD. However, not all young people with DLD are equally affected; some have more mental health difficulties than others. What explains these differences remains unclear. Method: Data from a community cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal…

Valid and reliable tools to measure mental health are a key requirement to developing a robust evidence base on mental health difficulties and autism. There are several reasons why mental health measures developed for the neurotypical population may not be valid and reliable when used with autistic adults. Using data collected from a national…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper evaluates the capacity of the Cornwall Foundation Trust (CFT) of the National Health Service (NHS) to implement the UK Government's children and young people's mental health strategy through its school-based integrated health centre (SBIHC) delivery model. Design/methodology/approach: This evaluation uses six…

The multiple layers of exclusion that can be experienced by a child at school and the relationship of this to mental well-being is the focus of this paper. The relationship between specific mental health problems and school exclusion is discussed. Data gathered from 1648 English school-aged students in 2019 who participated in the OxWell school…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools from elementary to post-secondary suddenly shifted to remote learning, placing a heavy burden on parents and caregivers. Likewise, social work practicum placements pivoted to remote learning, compounding existing difficulties securing practicum opportunities. This article describes a response to these…

There is a high incidence and prevalence of mental health problems among young people, with several barriers to help-seeking noted in this group. High rates of mental health problems have also been reported in children and adults on the autism spectrum. Taken together, young autistic people may be a particularly vulnerable group when it comes to…

Aims: This paper synthesises current evidence from trauma studies with a model emerging from a recent large-scale study of the responses of educational psychologists to critical incidents (CIs). It explores how evidence in providing psychological support in the immediate period after a traumatic event can be applied within a framework for…

This qualitative study set out to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mainstream schools and their pupils in summer 2021. The interviews reported here took place with 50 leaders of mainstream primary and secondary schools in England, most of which were serving disadvantaged areas. This report expands on the interim report (Sharp and…

There is a general feeling of change in primary education in England, in conjunction with the changes to the Ofsted inspection framework (Ofsted, 2019). There is more of a focus on the mental health and wellbeing of children, redeveloping community and reconnecting with nature as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum. It is so…

Background: Lithium is well described in managing certain mental illnesses including in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). It requires regular monitoring particularly of serum levels and relevant biochemistry. However, existing monitoring protocols do not provide ID-specific guidance leading to increased risk of poor-quality care. This…

Purpose: Prisons offer a public health opportunity to access a group with multiple and complex needs and return them to the community with improved health. However, prisons are not conducive to optimal health and there are few frameworks to guide efforts. This study aims to generate insights into health literacy across a young adult prison…

Objectives: The objectives of this mixed methods study are to (1) investigate the knowledge and skills of mainstream psychiatrists in managing patients with Intellectual Disability (ID) and comorbid mental health disorders, (2) assess their perception of the quality and accessibility of services for this population, and (3) establish the local…