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Emotional challenges in neurodivergent children and young people: Progress and open questions for research and practice

Emotional challenges in neurodivergent children and young people: Progress and open questions for research and practice
Emotional challenges in neurodivergent children and young people: Progress and open questions for research and practice

This Editorial introduces the March 2026 issue of JCPP Advances, marking the journal's sixth year with 15 impactful articles spanning key topics in child and adolescent mental health. A recurring theme across several articles is the investigation of emotional challenges—encompassing depression, anxiety, and self-harm—particularly in the context of neurodivergence. These articles advance understanding of candidate cognitive-affective drivers of emotional challenges, emphasise the role of social and contextual factors, and highlight the importance of research employing a transdiagnostic approach and informed by lived experience. Here, we underscore critical implications for assessment, prevention, and intervention, and reflect on outstanding challenges and future directions for research and clinical practice.

cognitive-affective factors, emotional challenges, neurodivergence, social and contextual factors, transdiagnostic approaches
2692-9384
Michelini, Giorgia
bcd4e55d-d4df-4b09-9369-08fd1c7ca3fb
Bellato, Alessio
0ee4c34f-3850-4883-8b82-5717b74990f7
Michelini, Giorgia
bcd4e55d-d4df-4b09-9369-08fd1c7ca3fb
Bellato, Alessio
0ee4c34f-3850-4883-8b82-5717b74990f7

Michelini, Giorgia and Bellato, Alessio (2026) Emotional challenges in neurodivergent children and young people: Progress and open questions for research and practice. JCPP advances, 6 (1), [e70109]. (doi:10.1002/jcv2.70109).

Record type: Editorial

Abstract

This Editorial introduces the March 2026 issue of JCPP Advances, marking the journal's sixth year with 15 impactful articles spanning key topics in child and adolescent mental health. A recurring theme across several articles is the investigation of emotional challenges—encompassing depression, anxiety, and self-harm—particularly in the context of neurodivergence. These articles advance understanding of candidate cognitive-affective drivers of emotional challenges, emphasise the role of social and contextual factors, and highlight the importance of research employing a transdiagnostic approach and informed by lived experience. Here, we underscore critical implications for assessment, prevention, and intervention, and reflect on outstanding challenges and future directions for research and clinical practice.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 25 February 2026
Additional Information: © 2026 The Author(s). JCPP Advances published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Keywords: cognitive-affective factors, emotional challenges, neurodivergence, social and contextual factors, transdiagnostic approaches

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 510122
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/510122
ISSN: 2692-9384
PURE UUID: 33bc5304-50c5-4a5d-a2b5-d5eaa8e0599d
ORCID for Alessio Bellato: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5330-6773

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 17 Mar 2026 18:10
Last modified: 21 Mar 2026 03:29

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Contributors

Author: Giorgia Michelini
Author: Alessio Bellato ORCID iD

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