Study now recruiting: Inclusive Talk
Published on 19 January 2026
Inclusive Talk: Understanding how to increase inclusiveness of NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression
An important project launched last year exploring experiences of Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT) and how these can be more inclusive. Our Evidence and Research team are supporting this project, Inclusive Talk, which is now in search of participants.
Project background
NHS Talking Therapies are the usual treatment for mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. Whilst autistic adults, adults with learning disabilities, and adults with ADHD are at increased risk of mental health difficulties, many also have negative experiences of Talking Therapies, such as lack of autism understanding from professionals, and poor accessibility.
This project aims to improve the experiences and outcomes of NHS Talking Therapies for these groups, specifically:
- To find out whether autistic people, people with learning disabilities, and people with ADHD have different IAPT experiences (e.g., longer waiting times) compared with the rest of the population.
- To explore whether factors linked to inequality affect how much people’s anxiety or depression improves with IAPT.
- To see whether Covid-19 had a greater impact on IAPT outcomes for these groups.
- To examine whether better outcomes from IAPT for these groups are linked with hospital admissions.
- To explore how electronic health records could be used to support these groups.
Who is doing the research?
The project is funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research and is led by Professor Joshua Stott (University College London) and Dr Amber John (University of Liverpool). The wider project team include collaborators from University of Bath, and University of Cumbria. The National Autistic Society are pleased to be involved.
Dr Amber John said: “NHS Talking Therapies play an important role in supporting people with anxiety and depression in England. However, they don’t work equally well for everyone. In this project, we want to understand how autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities experience NHS Talking Therapies and how these services can be improved. We hope that this will help in making care offered more accessible and equitable in the future for autistic people and people with learning disabilities with co-occurring mental health problems.”
Anoushka Pattenden, Research Partnerships and Participation Manager at the National Autistic Society, said: “We are really pleased to be supporting this project. We know that so many autistic people experience mental health difficulties, plus they face added barriers to appropriate and effective healthcare. We welcome this in-depth look into IAPT's provision, and hope the learnings will influence positive change.”
Do you have experience of Talking Therapies?
The study is at an exciting stage, and the research team are keen to hear from you:
- Are you an autistic person (or self-identify as autistic) aged over 18 years old who currently lives in the UK?
- Have you ever been referred to psychological therapy services?
If you answered “yes”, project Inclusive Talk invites you to take part in a 60–90-minute online interview to share your experiences.
To find out more, and sign up, please follow this link and fill out the relevant expression of interest form.
Please share this opportunity with anybody who may be interested, as we are keen to capture lots of experiences.
Where can I find out more about this project?
Further information
- Find out more about our research work.
- Read our advice and guidance on mental health.
- Read more about our campaigning for better mental health services.
- Our good practice guide for mental health professionals.