London's Metropolitan police has been working closely with researchers to identify a significant number of people recently arrested and detained in custody centers across the city. A recent study published by the University of Cambridge found that an astonishing half of those arrested over an eight-week period may be walking around with undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and one in 20 individuals could be exhibiting symptoms of autism.
The research, which took place at six London Metropolitan police custody centers, offered informal screening for neurodivergence to detained individuals. The team, led by Prof Sir Simon Baron-Cohen from the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge, believes that better screening could lead to improved support and fairer treatment for those in the criminal justice system.
According to Dr Tanya Procyshyn, a research associate at ARC, "Early identification helps officers interpret behaviors that might otherwise be misunderstood and ensures appropriate support is provided. This approach creates opportunities to divert vulnerable individuals away from the criminal justice process and towards the help they may need."
The study used modified versions of established screening tools for ADHD and autism traits in order to flag potential cases that would require further assessment. The results showed that nearly 71% of those who were eligible to participate in screening agreed to do so, while eight percent already had a diagnosed ADHD condition.
However, what was even more striking was the discovery that over half (50%) of individuals without an existing diagnosis scored above the threshold for possible undiagnosed ADHD. This included 33 individuals with an exceptionally high number of symptoms.
Furthermore, one in four arrested for drug offenses revealed they already had a diagnosed ADHD or positive screening results, possibly due to self-medication with illicit substances. These findings echo previous research suggesting that neurodivergent individuals are often overrepresented in prisons and may struggle with impulse control issues.
This study's findings underscore the need for better support systems and fairer treatment within the criminal justice system. By providing informal screenings, the police can take a crucial step towards helping vulnerable individuals who may have previously been misunderstood or misdiagnosed. As Prof Sir Simon Baron-Cohen emphasizes, "Screening for possible neurodivergence will allow more informed legal decision-making, taking into account cognitive and communicative differences."
The research, which took place at six London Metropolitan police custody centers, offered informal screening for neurodivergence to detained individuals. The team, led by Prof Sir Simon Baron-Cohen from the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge, believes that better screening could lead to improved support and fairer treatment for those in the criminal justice system.
According to Dr Tanya Procyshyn, a research associate at ARC, "Early identification helps officers interpret behaviors that might otherwise be misunderstood and ensures appropriate support is provided. This approach creates opportunities to divert vulnerable individuals away from the criminal justice process and towards the help they may need."
The study used modified versions of established screening tools for ADHD and autism traits in order to flag potential cases that would require further assessment. The results showed that nearly 71% of those who were eligible to participate in screening agreed to do so, while eight percent already had a diagnosed ADHD condition.
However, what was even more striking was the discovery that over half (50%) of individuals without an existing diagnosis scored above the threshold for possible undiagnosed ADHD. This included 33 individuals with an exceptionally high number of symptoms.
Furthermore, one in four arrested for drug offenses revealed they already had a diagnosed ADHD or positive screening results, possibly due to self-medication with illicit substances. These findings echo previous research suggesting that neurodivergent individuals are often overrepresented in prisons and may struggle with impulse control issues.
This study's findings underscore the need for better support systems and fairer treatment within the criminal justice system. By providing informal screenings, the police can take a crucial step towards helping vulnerable individuals who may have previously been misunderstood or misdiagnosed. As Prof Sir Simon Baron-Cohen emphasizes, "Screening for possible neurodivergence will allow more informed legal decision-making, taking into account cognitive and communicative differences."
. I mean, can you imagine being arrested and then not getting the support you need because nobody thought you had a condition? It's like, totally unfair 
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. I think this study is a huge step in the right direction, though. Informal screenings can make all the difference for people who might be flying under the radar.
Not everyone fits into one box, and that's what makes us interesting 
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The fact that nearly 50% of people without a diagnosed ADHD had symptoms above the threshold is mind-blowing! It's like, our justice system needs to be way more informed and supportive for folks who might have undiagnosed conditions. I'm all about diverting vulnerable individuals away from the criminal justice process and towards help they need. It makes so much sense that early identification would lead to better support and fairer treatment. We should totally be doing more of this! 
. I mean, think about it, 50% of people without a diagnosis are showing signs of ADHD? That's crazy! And it's not just ADHD, but also autism. We need to be more understanding and supportive, especially when it comes to vulnerable individuals who might end up in the justice system.
. The fact that 71% of people were willing to participate in screenings is a great start, but we need more funding and resources to make it happen.
. It's not just about the prisoners themselves but also the officers who have to deal with them - better training on neurodivergence would make a huge difference 
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71% of ppl who were offered screening agreed to do it, which is awesome! its also crazy that 33 ppl had a ton of symptoms but no diagnosis, so now the police can try to help them with those issues.
Like, they're not even trying to get help, but we need to be there for them, right? 
The fact that the police are now using informal screenings is like, super cool (in a good way)! It's about time we start being more understanding and helping people who need it. We should def be supporting them instead of just throwing 'em in the system 
so they're finally catching on that people with ADHD are probably just trying to get a decent night's sleep and not actually plotting to rob the convenience store... 50% of people who don't have an existing diagnosis scoring above the threshold for possible undiagnosed ADHD is wild. like, what even is a 'threshold' anyway? And isn't it about time we started supporting people with neurodivergence instead of just locking them up 
I've got a friend who's always been super focused on her schoolwork, but also has trouble sitting still during lessons. I never thought she had ADHD before, but now I'm wondering if it could be... 
My teacher said something about how some people with ADHD can be really creative, which makes sense since my friend is actually super artistic! 
Anyway, I think this study is a great reminder that there's always more to learn and understand when it comes to mental health. We need to make sure our teachers are aware of these conditions so we can get the support we need... 
It's wild how much we still don't know about neurodivergence, right? 
Like, these researchers at Cambridge did this study and found out that nearly 71% of people who were eligible to participate actually agreed to do the screening, which is pretty cool I guess... but what about the ones who didn't agree or couldn't participate? Are they just getting left behind? 
. This study is a huge wake-up call - 50% of people without a diagnosed ADHD are already exhibiting symptoms 
! It's like, why haven't we been doing this before? 
. It's all about empathy and understanding, you know? 
It's like they're being judged on their 'behavior' rather than the circumstances 
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. And it's not like these people are just randomly exhibiting symptoms, they've been trying to cope with their conditions in whatever ways they can - maybe even self-medicating with substances 
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. This study is a great starting point, but we can't just leave it at that