Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is supporting a call to action from an editorial in the British Journal of Psychiatry, which highlights the importance of identifying conditions such as ADHD, autism and tic disorders in psychiatric populations.
Hugo Critchley, a lead author of the editorial and professor of psychiatry at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), said: “This editorial challenges us as psychiatrists to recognise that neurodivergence is not peripheral to our work – it is central to it.
“Conditions like ADHD and autism are common across our caseloads but too often go unrecognised.
“The authors argue that by improving awareness, upskilling the workforce and redesigning services, we can deliver more effective, personalised care and better outcomes for patients.”
The editorial warns that without proper recognition, patients risk misdiagnosis, inappropriate care and greater chances of crisis or relapse.
It calls for core psychiatric training to include neurodevelopmental conditions to improve diagnosis and treatment.
Clinicians at Sussex Partnership have contributed to and backed the editorial.
Their current work includes piloting an adult ADHD assessment service in primary care with clinical oversight from the Trust.