Mental health, neurodiversity, and why community matters more than ever

This Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re spotlighting the communities that support us, and why they’re vital for neurodivergent people and parent carers.

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, and this year’s theme – community – feels deeply personal.

Because let’s be honest: too many people are carrying too much, alone.

Neurodivergent people are masking, navigating misunderstanding, and often trying to succeed in systems that weren’t built for them. Parent carers are juggling advocacy, appointments, and the emotional weight of raising a child in a world that doesn’t always see their brilliance.

When the support you need doesn’t exist, community becomes more than a buzzword. It becomes a lifeline.

It’s not the diagnosis, it’s the disconnection.

Neurodivergent people are significantly more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and burnout (to mention just a few mental health conditions and impacts). But the cause isn’t necessarily their brain wiring. It’s the pressure to constantly adapt, mask, and push through environments that aren’t designed for them.

It’s exhausting. And lonely.

For parent carers, it’s no easier. There’s a powerful quote in this discussion paper on parent carer trauma:

“Parents are not breaking down because their child is autistic. They are breaking down because of the fight they are having to go through.”

The paperwork, the waiting lists, the daily micro-failures of systems that should help…all these things (and more!) wear people down.

And that’s why community is so vital. It doesn’t solve everything. But it softens the edges. It reminds us we’re not the only ones. It offers solidarity, not sympathy. And sometimes, that’s exactly what gets us through.

Tips for building better mental health through community

🔹 Start small. One person who truly gets it can be more powerful than a room full of people who don’t. Find that person for you, and be that person for someone else.
🔹 Make it easy to show up. Flexible formats, low-pressure invites, and non-judgemental spaces help more people feel safe to join in, when the time is right for them.
🔹 Let people opt out, without guilt. Especially for neurodivergent folks, community needs to be a choice, not an obligation. The wrong community, or the community at the wrong time could do more harm than good.
🔹 Ask, don’t assume. Support looks different for everyone. Sometimes it’s listening. Sometimes it’s practical help. Sometimes it’s just being there.
🔹 Use your voice. If you’ve found a space that helps, share it. If you need one, ask. Vulnerability often opens doors.

Recommendations

• Watch: It’s Not Just in Your Head: Why Medicine Must Wake Up to Trauma by Dr Susanna Petche
  A vulnerable and powerful talk that highlights the needs for us to recognise the impact of trauma on not just our minds, but our bodies too. A powerful watch for healthcare professionals and frankly anyone and everyone!
• Read: Parent Carer Trauma – Affinity Hub (May 2024)
  A must-read for educators, professionals, and anyone who’s walked the exhausting path of parenting a neurodivergent child through broken systems that aren’t fit for purpose.
• Explore: Our very own Differing Minds community of NeuroNavigators®
  We run a programme that brings together HR leads, parent carers, educators, and allies who want to create real change in their workplaces and communities. It’s part learning space, part support network – and if that sounds like something you need, we’d love to have you on the next cohort. Doors are opening next month so join the waitlist now!
• Take part: Body image research at The APPEAR Lab
  The APPEAR Lab is seeking women and non-binary individuals aged 18-25 who identify as autistic and use social media to participate in a 25-minute survey about the effects of social media content on body image and eating related attitudes.

Final thought

I’ve found huge comfort in communities in recent years – both the neurodivergent community, and the parent carer community. I wish I had realised I needed this earlier so if this is you, please don’t wait.

Mental health is not an individual problem. It’s a community issue, and it needs a community solution. The more we create spaces where people feel seen, the more we all thrive.