Mental health care in Wiltshire ‘doesn’t understand’ autism

An autistic man explained that there is a “lack of understanding” in mental health care for people with a diagnosis.

Kye Vallance – from Wiltshire – has anxiety and has been through the local mental health system several times and said professionals need to make sure they are “understanding but not condescending”.

His comments are echoed in a report that surveyed people with autism, carers and family.

The NHS said adults with autism are more likely to experience mental health problems, and the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership said the knowledge of people with lived experience is essential, so they want to hear from them to- and better meet needs.

One said he would rather take his own life than deal with the job again, with a crisis team described as “terrible, condescending, no empathy”.

Mr Vallance said: “You don’t want to be treated like a child. You don’t want anyone talking to you like you’re stupid, but don’t assume that everyone is fully capable of anything.”

Autistic carers and parents were also asked to share their thoughts, with anonymous comments showing despair.

“He didn’t get support until he overdosed,” said one.

Another added: “Please change things and as quickly as possible because lives will be lost because the support just isn’t there.”

Mr Vallance struggled to get effective help through the NHS.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most common form of talking therapy offered in Wiltshire.

It’s not something Mr. Vallance has found very helpful for the anxiety that’s always there: “I feel like my brain is wired differently. A lot of the things they suggest don’t really apply to me.

“They often ask you to keep thought journals about how you’re feeling – that’s a good thing, but it doesn’t help as much if you don’t have a specific problem,” he added.

For Mr Vallance, there is a constant underlying anxiety.

Experiences in the report find therapy unhelpful: “Even in CBT they made me feel worse.”

Health services often rely on the phone for tasks such as booking appointments, but phone calls can be a problem for people with autism.

One survey respondent explained, “I cannot make phone calls without extreme levels of anxiety, possibly panic attacks, and days, possibly weeks, of trying to work up the courage to do so.”

Mr Vallance explained why face-to-face is easier for him: “I find it easier – I have a set time, I know what I’m doing in a routine.”

He would like services to ask people what would help them if their record shows they are autistic, but it is also “important not to alienate people” and “not make them feel like they are completely separate”.

The report’s conclusion said that difficulty accessing support had a “serious impact” and included that the usual talking therapies (CBT) offered were inappropriate.

Sir Robert Buckland MP is chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism and said not everything can be solved with money.

“It’s about getting the right expertise in recruiting appropriately qualified psychiatrists and other clinical staff,” he said.

Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership – which provides the majority of adult mental health services in the area – said it wanted to hear from people with lived experience to help them meet needs in the future.

Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board service commissions and said they recognized there was room for improvement and were committed to addressing the issues identified in the report.

They also said it is “never easy to hear” that people’s experiences have “declined” and that they are improving training and working with individuals, families and experts to improve care.