Men’s Mental Health
Understanding Neurodiversity
Social media is full of discussion about ‘neurodiversity’ and ‘neurodivergence’. But what do these terms mean? How do they relate to mental health?
What is neurodiversity?
Neurodiversity is the idea that no two brains are exactly alike – there’s a lot of variation in how brains work. No type of brain is “correct” or “superior”, there’s simply a lot of variety.
Neurotypical refers to how the majority of people’s brains work.
Neurodivergent brains, on the other hand, may work differently from “typical” brains in a number of ways, such as how they process information, problem solve, respond to the environment, and communicate.
Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia are all examples of neurodivergent conditions.
It’s estimated that about 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent – the figure may be even higher in men – so neurodivergence is common.
It’s important not to make the mistake of thinking that the world can be neatly divided into two groups – neurodiverse and neurodivergent – the idea of neurodiversity is to recognise there’s a lot of variation even within these broad groups. It’s also important to remember that there are strengths and challenges that come with every type of brain, whether you consider yourself neurotypical or neurodivergent! Having a better understanding of how you (or a loved one) experience the world differently, however, can help you to better navigate your way through different settings and environments and help to reduce stress and feeling overwhelmed.
Strengths
Creativity Thinking differently or “outside the box” goes hand in hand with neurodivergence – therefore, people who are neurodivergent often have creative ideas and unique perspectives that might be missed if everyone in the room were neurotypical.
Hyperfocus This relates to the ability to intensely concentrate on something that a person finds interesting for extended periods of time – a skill that can be extremely useful in some areas of work and leisure.
Attention to detail Some neurodivergent people have high levels of skill in noticing fine grain detail, another skill that is often very useful.
Emotional insights Some neurodivergent people have high levels of skill in noticing fine grain detail, another skill that is often very useful.
Challenges
While there clearly are strengths that can come with being neurodivergent, it’s also true that it brings challenges. Recognising and understanding these can help neurodivergent people to thrive.
Social communication For some neurodivergent people, social norms and unspoken expectations can be very difficult to understand and navigate. This can lead to frequent misunderstandings and result in being socially excluded. Clear and direct communication can help avoid a lot of misunderstandings.
Sensory issues People who are more neurodivergent may respond differently to various types of stimulation, such as noisy environments, bright lights, certain tastes, textures or even fluctuating temperatures. Neurotypical brains, for example, tend to find it easier to ignore background noise during a conversation, something that some neurodivergent individuals can find very difficult. Other parts of the environment that the average neurotypical person can “screen out”, such as a flickering light or a background beeping noise, can be very overwhelming and distracting for neurodivergent people. Making little adjustments to home, school and workplaces can make a big difference to someone who is neurodivergent.
Organisation Organisation can be a challenge for some neurodivergent people, including getting started on tasks and staying on topic. Breaking projects down into smaller “chunks” or tasks can be helpful for some neurodivergent individuals.
Emotional regulation A build-up of emotions, sometimes coupled with difficulty in putting feelings into words, can result in becoming emotionally overwhelmed and lead to severe dysregulation, anger or “meltdowns”. These meltdowns rarely come out of nowhere – they usually build up over varying lengths of time. Learning to spot earlier stages before reaching meltdown will help to know when a timeout is needed – these personal timeouts should be used to task shift to something completely different, giving the heightened emotions a chance to gradually defuse.
Mental Health
An important challenge that comes with having a neurodivergent brain is that there is an increased risk of mental ill health, such as developing depression and anxiety disorders. There are lots of reasons why neurodivergent people are more likely to develop mental ill health, including:
Stress and stigma navigating a neurotypical world as a neurodivergent individual can lead to a lot of misunderstanding, stress and feeling out of place.
Masking spending a lot of time trying to cover up or mask one’s neurodivergent traits in order to fit in can take a toll on mental health.
Biology some genetic factors may contribute both to neurodiversity and risk of mental ill health, as can subtle differences in brain structure and function.
See our information sheets on understanding depression and anxiety in men if these are a problem for you. But bear in mind that, for neurodivergent people, also understanding how your neurodiversity fits into this picture can help to provide a more nuanced and individualised understanding of the specific factors that may have contributed to your mental ill health. And it can also give you important clues as to how best to come up with a plan specific to your strengths, challenges and individual needs.
Prof Ian Kelleher
Consultant psychiatrist, chair of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, and an Academy of Medical Sciences professor, researching ways to prevent mental illness.