Image The Neurodivergent Woman: Synaesthesia and ADHD epidemiology with Dr Holly Erskine

This week Monique and Michelle interview neurodivergent woman, epidemiologist, and mental health researcher, Dr Holly Erskine, from the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research. Holly’s PhD research focussed on the global epidemiology of ADHD and conduct disorder as well as the long-term outcomes associated with these. She now leads an international project looking at mental health in adolescents in Kenya, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In this episode we discuss with Holly her experience of synaesthesia and she explains to us just how grapheme-colour synaesthesia works. Holly also describes her research on ADHD epidemiology, including prevalence data, long term outcomes for ADHDers, and the surprising (or maybe not!) connection between ADHD and driving accidents. We discuss disability and disorder terminology versus ‘difference’, and unpack some of the intricacies and inadequacies of language.