Why understanding neurodiversity and mental illnesses is important for confronting ignorance.

This article has been jointly produced by MQ Mental Health Research and Autistica.

In a recent opinion piece, published in The Times, writer Matthew Parris asked “Is psychiatry (the study of diagnosis and treatment) a science at all? Does psychology (the study of the mind, and behaviour) deserve the name of science?”

The answer of course, is yes. And here’s why.

Psychiatry, psychology and neuroscience are generally considered the cornerstones of mental health research. As with any science, these three disciplines use observations, experimentation and the testing of hypothesis and theories to pursue knowledge and understanding, and to obtain evidence.

Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that studies, diagnoses and treats mental illnesses. Psychology studies the mind, how it functions and affects our behaviour.

Both of these are important scientific disciplines and without them we would not have a range of therapies and interventions such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, anti-psychotic medications or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

Stigmas lead to ignorance

The same stigmas that led to previous generations locking people up in asylums or hiding family members with serious mental illnesses out of shame are the same stigmas that have led to a disparity between physical and mental health care.

This disparity leads to ignorance, which results in problematic statements such as this one from the same article; “It follows that ADHD, autism, PTSD or clinical depression are really only words, sanctified only by common usage, not science”

It is important to note that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and autism are both examples of neurodiversity as opposed to mental illnesses. Autistica, the UK’s leading autism research charity, describe autism as the way some people communicate and experience the world around them.

The latest diagnostic figures reveal that approximately 3% of people in the UK have ADHD, whilst 1-2% of the UK population is autistic. Both autism and ADHD have shared characteristics and overlapping traits, and it is possible to be autistic and have ADHD, which some people refer to as AuDHD.

In many ways, the increase in demand for autism diagnoses is due to an increased public awareness of neurodiversity. As of August 2024, more than 187,567 people across the UK were waiting for an autism diagnosis. Depending on where someone lives, there are significant discrepancies and inconsistencies in diagnostic rates up and down the country. More concerningly, a lack of understanding from a clinician may mean worse health outcomes for an autistic person with a co-occurring condition, with studies showing that about 8 in 10 autistic people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime. The Times article seeks to perpetuate the myth that autism is a psychiatric issue and can simply be cured.

Articles that conflate neurodiversity with mental illness lead to misinformation and harmful attitudes towards those who don’t present as neurotypical.

Too many people are aware of autism but don’t necessarily understand autistic people. It is evident that the writer of this article demonstrates a fundamental, if not wilful, lack of understanding of autism and ADHD.

So, what’s the real question?

The real frustration that many people have when it comes to our understanding of mental illnesses or the ability to correctly diagnose and effectively treat different conditions is that we are far behind where we should be.

This is not a failure of the discipline, but of the priorities society has set when it comes to dealing with health issues.

For too long, stigmas about mental illness have led society to prioritise physical health over mental health.  But why?

The assumption has historically been that conditions like Major Depressive Disorders, Schizophrenia and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are inevitable, and therefore shouldn’t be investigated thoroughly.

Funders have invested in physical health research over mental health research for so long, that a study by MQ found that just £9 was spent on research per person impacted by mental illness. Research into autism is equally underfunded, with Autistica revealing that just £6.60 is spent on research per autistic person per year. That is in comparison to £228 being spent per person impacted on cancer research.

In the article, the writer suggests that “neuroscience (a real and developing discipline) has yet to determine whether any part of the brain can be identified as “causing” any mental disorder, or “treated” by chemical means.”

This is simply untrue. For example, research from MQ has found that the cortical development of the brain, which is associated with psychosis, can be improved though the consumption of folic acid.

The HOPES study (Help Overcome and Predict the Emergence of Suicide) has found there was a lower surface area of a prefrontal region called the frontal pole in young people who had a history of suicide attempts.

And more recently, MQ research has developed a revolutionary new treatment for Panic Disorder which combines psychological treatment with a blood pressure medication to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.

Psychiatry, psychology and neuroscience are no longer the only disciplines considered ‘mental health science’. Thanks to the work of MQ to convene the sector over the last ten years, many different disciplines, such as sociology, data science and epidemiology are now working together to find solutions for the 1 in 4 of us impacted by mental ill-health.

Without research, it’s just guesswork

Thankfully, the dial is starting to shift. More and more, society is waking up to the importance of investing in research.

The Pandemic seemed to help to change public attitudes in relation to both mental health and neurodiversity. The rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine was only possible due to the years of research that came before it. Governments and policy makers recognised that the same could be true for our mental health, and that future generations could benefit from the investments made today.

Mental health in autistic people is an urgent research priority for organisations such as Autistica. By actively funding ground-breaking research, researchers and medical professionals are better positioned to prove what works and what doesn’t. By 2030, Autistica want to see a yearly tailored health check for autistic people, and proven treatments for anxiety. This evidence will be used to advise and influence key partners to implement proven solutions that change autistic people’s lives.

We do still have far to go to level the playing field between the understanding, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses compared with physical illnesses. But spreading misinformation, poorly thought-out statements, and confusing neurodiversity with mental illness helps no one.

Without research, it’s just guesswork as to what the solutions might be. We must continue to grow investments in research so that everyone can live happy, healthy and productive lives.

You can find out more about Autistica here.

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