Mental health and autism: Falling between the gaps
Download (PDF 550.78 KB)Summary of report content
This report highlights the findings from two surveys by Healthwatch Wiltshire, one for autistic people and one for their carers, which gathered their experiences of accessing mental health services in Wiltshire over the three years from 2020 to 2023.
The survey ran in May and June 2023 and were shared through the Wiltshire Service Users’ Network (WSUN) and partner organisations such as Wiltshire Parent Carer Council. Healthwatch Wiltshire also promoted the survey through social media channels and its website. The work follows on from a previous project with WSUN in 2021 that aimed to gather the views of people with autism spectrum conditions and their carers about health, care and support services in Wiltshire.
The report concudes that autistic people and their carers have struggled to access support for their mental health and this has had a serious impact on them and their families. The report makes eight recommendations broadly around ensuring staff are properly trained and knowledgeable about autism and services are flexible and tailored to the specific requirements of autistic people.