In this Q&A, we speak with Christine O’Neill, a leading expert and advocate from Safe Soulmates, who have partnered with Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire (CPSL) Mind to adapt suicide prevention training to meet the needs of the neurodivergent community better. Safe Soulmates are a friendship and dating organisation for neurodivergent and disabled adults and through our collaboration with them and lived experience experts, we have worked to create a vital resource that addresses the unique challenges neurodivergent people face when accessing crisis support. Here, Christine shares insights into the importance of neurodivergent-specific training and the life-saving impact it can have.
CPSLM: Hi Chris, Can you tell us about your experience working with us on adapting our suicide prevention training for neurodivergent people?
CO: “We at Safe Soulmates have felt truly privileged to work alongside CPSL Mind on adapting the STOP Suicide training for neurodivergent people. Witnessing the remarkable achievements they have made by bringing together the voices of lived experience experts will be incredibly beneficial and a much-needed, life-saving resource.”
CO: “Through our work and the stories shared within our community from individuals and their families, we know how challenging it can be for neurodivergent individuals to access crisis support, especially when they or someone in their life is experiencing suicidal thoughts. Neurodivergent people often communicate distress in ways that differ significantly from neurotypical norms. Crisis staff are simply not trained to recognise this.”
CPSLM: Why do neurodivergent individuals struggle to express distress in ways that are recognised by crisis teams?
CO: “One of the common reasons people have told us this happens is due to a lifetime spent hiding or suppressing their true emotions or behaviors, as they feel they need to fit in with the expectations of neurotypical society. Many will know this as masking.”
CPSLM: How do co-occurring conditions or other traits associated with neurodivergence complicate this further?
CO: “More than 70% of neurodivergent people are believed to have co-occurring conditions. Conditions such as Demand Avoidance (DA) might be misinterpreted as deliberate uncooperativeness. Sensory sensitivities might be seen as overdramatic. And someone with Rejection-Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) might be dismissed as overly emotional. But these are all coping strategies or differences in the way our brains process information.”
CPSLM: What is the impact of this misunderstanding on neurodivergent people in crisis situations?
CO: “On the surface, people may appear composed, unaffected, calm, or even mask their emotions through humour when they are desperately struggling inside.”
CPSLM: Why is it so important to develop neurodivergent-specific suicide prevention training?
CO: “This training, designed with accessibility in mind, equips the amazing professionals, carers, and peers— who are all doing an incredible job of supporting people — with the tools to understand and respond to the unique ways neurodivergent individuals express their needs. The changes required can be tiny but can make the difference between life and death.”
CPSLM: What do you hope will be the long-term impact of this training?
CO: “We believe that every individual deserves to be truly seen, heard, and supported, especially in their most vulnerable moments—it will literally save lives.”
We and Safe Soulmates will continue to raise awareness during October’s ADHD Awareness Month and beyond, it’s crucial to recognise the unique challenges faced by the neurodivergent community when accessing mental health support. The suicide prevention training for high-risk communities, developed with lived experience, offers a vital resource to help bridge these gaps. By understanding and responding to the diverse ways people express distress, we can offer more compassionate, effective support—and ultimately save lives. Help us to ensure that everyone, especially those most vulnerable, are seen, heard, and truly supported by signing up for the training now.
For updates and to hear more about the training register your interest here and follow @stopsuicidecam.