Overview
- Over eight weeks in 2024, voluntary screening was offered at six Metropolitan Police custody centres, with 71% of 303 eligible detainees taking part.
- Fifty percent of participants without a prior diagnosis screened above the threshold for possible ADHD, while 5.4% screened for possible undiagnosed autism.
- Existing diagnoses were reported by 8% for ADHD and 4.2% for autism, both slightly above general-population estimates cited by the authors.
- Sixty percent of people arrested for drug offences had either an ADHD diagnosis or a positive ADHD screen, aligning with research on self-medication and impulse control.
- The peer-reviewed findings, funded by the Wellcome Trust and published in Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, include a recommendation to introduce first-contact screening to guide support and potential diversion.