UCL PALS academic wins prestigious award for inclusive research innovation

A research team involving Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou (from UCL PALS) has been awarded the 2025 Lionel Hersov Memorial Award from the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH).

ucl.ac.uk

“Constantly overwhelmed and desperate for help”: Parents’ experiences of supporting their autistic child with mental health difficulties in the United Kingdom

Autistic children and young people are at increased risk of experiencing mental health difficulties, but often face delays or barriers to accessing support. While evidence exists regarding parents’ ex...

journals.plos.org

Neurodivergent adolescents experience twice the emotional burden at school

Negative school experiences generate twice the emotional burden in autistic and ADHD adolescents compared to their neurotypical classmates, and this is significantly correlated with depression and anx...

ucl.ac.uk

Exploring similarities and differences in how researchers and young people understand key terms in youth mental-health research - Humanities and Social Sciences Communications

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications - Exploring similarities and differences in how researchers and young people understand key terms in youth mental-health research

nature.com

“I Guess when a Lot of People Collectively Outwardly Don’t Like you, you Start to find a Dislike Within Yourself”: Experiences of Belonging Among Autistic Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth in Mains...

There is evidence that feeling a sense of belonging supports pupils’ social acceptance and is a protective factor against harmful psychological outcomes. Despite this, limited research has considered ...

link.springer.com

autismcentral.org.uk

autismcentral.org.uk

“Constantly overwhelmed and desperate for help”: Parents’ experiences of supporting their autistic child with mental health difficulties in the United Kingdom

Autistic children and young people are at increased risk of experiencing mental health difficulties, but often face delays or barriers to accessing support. While evidence exists regarding parents’ ex...

journals.plos.org

Neurodivergent adolescents experience twice the emotional burden at school

Negative school experiences generate twice the emotional burden in autistic and ADHD adolescents compared to their neurotypical classmates, and this is significantly correlated with depression and anx...

ucl.ac.uk

“I Guess when a Lot of People Collectively Outwardly Don’t Like you, you Start to find a Dislike Within Yourself”: Experiences of Belonging Among Autistic Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth in Mainstream School Settings - School Mental Health

There is evidence that feeling a sense of belonging supports pupils’ social acceptance and is a protective factor against harmful psychological outcomes. Despite this, limited research has considered autistic girls’ belonging experiences in mainstream schools and what needs to change to facilitate belonging. Personal constructs and lived experiences of school belonging were explored using semi-structured interviews and personalised activities (e.g. drawings and poetry) with 18 autistic adolescents assigned female at birth (AFAB) in mainstream school settings. Participants were involved in the data analysis process as they commented on codes and themes. We generated three main themes from the data. Theme 1) “Wanting to feel seen and heard” focussed on the recognition and validation of the autistic experience and identity, and how understanding of autism informs practice. Theme 2) “Longing to belong” focussed on the young people’s experience of trying to develop relationships with others, their experiences of trying to fit in, and the impact that this had on them. Theme 3) “Sensory build-up results in shutdown” focussed on the overwhelming nature of the sensory environment in school, and the impact that this has on both the learning and social experience. All participants want to be externally valued, heard, and involved in the school community. However, aspects of masking, stigma and sensory experiences limit the girls’ belonging in school. Implications for professionals and future research are discussed along with recommendations. The latter can inform future school mental health policy and practice to create emotionally healthy school environments, in which autistic young people can be their authentic selves and have their best lives.

link.springer.com

Social media and autistic mental health research; Shaping the agenda together / Blog | GRRAND

By Emma Hyner and Krysia Waldock

neurodiversity-research.org

JCPP Advances | ACAMH Child Development Journal | Wiley Online Library

Background Accounts of emotional dysregulation in autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are typically based on external adult observations anchored in neurotypical notions of em.....

acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Cautious Capitals: Parenting Autistic Children at Mainstream School - Caroline Oliver, Carol Vincent, Georgia Pavlopoulou, 2025

Family social class background significantly influences parents’ relationships with schools, yet the intersection of class with disability is often overlooked. ...

journals.sagepub.com

Emotional Burden at School Doubled for Neurodivergent Teens

Study finds neurodivergent teens face double the emotional burden at school, highlighting need for better mental health support in education.

annafreud.org