Calls for better mental health support for neurodivergent people after death of autistic Sussex teenager
It's as National Suicide Prevention Day encourages people to have open conversations around suicide
Last updated 11th Sep 2026
Family of an autistic teenager from Sussex who took her own life say more must be done to support neurodivergent people in communicating about their mental health.
It's as National Suicide Prevention Day encourages people to have open conversations around suicide.
19-year-old Morgan Betchley died on hospital grounds in 2023 after a prolonged mental health battle.
Her inquest later found her care failed to take into account her "complex needs" and "better quality observations and interactions would have led to a great understanding of Morgan’s state of mind.
Since, her mum-in-law Louise Hodgson has been leading a campaign for change surrounding how neurodivergence is approached in mental health care.
She says conversations can be harder "with other considerations" that come with being neurodiverse:
"If you don't speak in the same way necessarily as other people or you're more abrupt, or you're more honest, or you don't read those social cues then that can result in you being considered to be obstructive or not following the pathway or, in our case, as was stated in court by a psychiatrist, 'rebelling against the system'.
A Brighton and Hove Medical School study also found neurodivergence is often overlooked - which can lead to "inaccurate diagnosis, ineffective or poorly tailored interventions and increased risk of crisis or relapse."
Trust 'highlighting the importance' of recognising needs
A spokesperson for Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said:
"Sussex Partnership has developed a specialist team to work with autistic people who are at risk of reaching crisis by providing short term interventions to better understand their neurodiversity and implement strategies to navigate some of the challenges of living in a neurotypical world.
"As part of our work for World Suicide Prevention Day, we are working closely with Public Health teams across Sussex and our voluntary, community and social enterprise partners, to raise awareness, develop shared resources, and help people feel more confident to start a direct and compassionate conversation about suicide and connect someone with appropriate support.
"We are also highlighting the importance of recognising the individual needs of neurodivergent people."