Mental Health and Autism

Man with mental health problems The term 'mental health problem' covers a wide range of problems which affect someone's ability to get on with their daily life.

Mental health problems can affect anyone, of any age and background, as well as having an impact on the people around them such as their family, friends and carers. (The Mental Health Foundation, 200?)

It is reported that many autistic people have one or more mental health problems.

These may include anger and aggression, anxiety, catatonia, depression, obsessive compulsive disorders, and self injurious behaviour.

Personal Accounts

“Reality to an autistic person is a confusing, interacting mass of events, people, places, sounds and sights. There seem to be no clear boundaries, order or meaning to anything. A large part of my life is spent trying to work out the pattern behind everything. Set routines, times, particular routes and rituals all help to get order into an unbearably chaotic life. Trying to keep everything the same reduces some of the terrible fear.” (Therese Jolliffe)

''Life is such a struggle; indecision over other things that other people refer to as trivial results in an awful lot of distress - if someone says 'We may go shopping tomorrow' or 'We will see what happens', they do not seem to realise that the uncertainty causes a lot of inner distress.'' Theresa Jolliffe

"Junior high was a real mess for me and then came puberty. My anxiety attacks came during puberty, and then all of my nerves started." Temple Grandin.

" I can only speak for myself when I say that if one subject is on my mind or I am fascinated by something, then literally everything else is insignificant - I feel an overwhelming excitement in me that I cannot describe. I just have to talk about it and the irritation at being stopped can easily develop into raging fury." (Source: Luke Jackson, Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome)

Statistics

Mental health problems appear to be common in autistic people as well as their families and carers. For example

84.1% of children with autism met the full criteria of at least one anxiety disorder.
1 in 15 people with Asperger syndrome experience depression (Tantam, 1991).
8% of children with Asperger syndrome and 10% of children with high-functioning autism were diagnosed with OCD.
People with Asperger’s syndrome are relatively more likely to have delusional beliefs than other people.
There is no evidence that people with autism are more likely than anyone else to develop schizophrenia

Causes

‘There is no single cause of mental health problems - the reasons why they develop are as complex as the individual. Mental health problems are more common in certain groups, for example, people with poor living conditions, those from ethnic minority groups, disabled people, homeless people and offenders. Sometimes people with mental health problems are discriminated against. This can lead to social problems such as homelessness, and may make the mental health problem worse.’ (NHS Direct, 2007)

Causes of mental health problems in people with autism

Many mental health problems in autistic people are likely to have the same causes as they do in other people. In addition, some people believe that

some people with Asperger syndrome – and their families – are biologically more prone to some mental health problems, especially anxiety, depression, and OCD
the underlying problems associated with autism, including social and communication difficulties, may make some people with autistic spectrum disorders more prone to mental health problems.
people with Asperger syndrome are more aware of the fact that they are different to other people, which may make them anxious or depressed.

Effects

Mental health problems can cause all sorts of problems for autistic people, their families and carers. For example, having a mental health problem can make it much more difficult to

learn new skills
form friendships and relationships
find and then keep a job
live independently in the community
cope with the grind of daily life

Best Practice

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced clinical guidance on the management and support of people on the autism spectrum.

This includes guidance on the management of mental health problems in adults and in children and young people.

Further information: NICE Guidance on Coexisting Mental Disdorder in Adults on the Autism Spectrum

Further information: NICE Clinical Guidance on Coexisting Problems in Children and Young People with Autism

Studies and Reviews

This page provides details of some of the most significant studies and reviews on mental health and autism.

You can find more studies and reviews on mental health in our publications database.

If you know of any other studies we should include please email info@researchautism.net with the details. Thank you.

If you know of any other publications we should list on this page please email info@informationautism.org

Please note that we are unable to supply publications unless we are listed as the publisher. However, if you are a UK resident you may be able to obtain them from your local public library, your college library or direct from the publisher.

Related Studies and Reviews

Aman M. G. (2004) Management of hyperactivity and other acting-out problems in patients with autism spectrum disorder. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology. 11(3), Read Abstract (New Window)
Anckarsäter H. et al. (2008) Autism spectrum disorders in institutionalized subjects. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry. 62(2), Read Abstract (New Window)
Bhaumik S. et al. (2008) Psychiatric service use and psychiatric disorders in adults with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research. 52(11), Read Abstract (New Window)
Bolton P. et al. (1998) Autism, affective and other psychiatric disorders: patterns of familial aggregation Psychological Medicine. 28(2), Read Abstract (New Window)
Brimacombe M., Ming X., Parikh M. (2007) Familial risk factors in autism. Journal of Child Neurology. 22(5), Read Abstract (New Window)
Foley K., Trollor J. (2015) Management of mental ill health in people with autism spectrum disorder. Australian Family Physician. 44(11), Read Abstract (New Window) Read Full (New Window)
Gabriels R. L. et al. (2012) Improving psychiatric hospital care for pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities. Autism Research and Treatment. Read Abstract (New Window) Read Full (New Window)
Gadow K. D., DeVincent C. J., Schneider J. (2008) Predictors of psychiatric symptoms in children with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Read Abstract (New Window)
Gillberg C., Billstedt E. (2000) Autism and Asperger syndrome: coexistence with other clinical disorders. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica. 102(5), Read Abstract (New Window)
Hofvander B. et al. (2009) Psychiatric and psychosocial problems in adults with normal-intelligence autism spectrum disorders. BMC Psychiatry. 9(1), Read Abstract (New Window) Read Full (New Window)
Hutton J. et al. (2008) New-onset psychiatric disorders in individuals with autism. Autism. 12(4), Read Abstract (New Window)
Kanne S. M., Abbacchi A. M., Constantino J. N. (2009) Multi-informant ratings of psychiatric symptom severity in children with autism spectrum disorders: The importance of environmental context. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 39(6), Read Abstract (New Window)
King B. H. (2000) Pharmacological treatment of mood disturbances, aggression and self-injury in persons with pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 30(5), Read Abstract (New Window)
Lunsky Y., Gracey C., Bradley E. (2009) Adults with autism spectrum disorders using psychiatric hospitals in Ontario: Clinical profile and service needs Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 3(4), Read Abstract (New Window)
Mandell D. S. (2008) Psychiatric hospitalization among children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 38(6), Read Abstract (New Window)
Ming X. et al. (2008) Autism spectrum disorders: concurrent clinical disorders. Journal of Child Neurology. 23(1), Read Abstract (New Window)
Simonoff E. et al. (2008) Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. 47(8), Read Abstract (New Window)
Skokauskas N., Gallagher L. (2010) Psychosis, affective disorders and anxiety in autistic spectrum disorder: prevalence and nosological considerations. Psychopathology. 43(1), Read Abstract (New Window)
Spain D., Sin J., Freeman D. (2016) Conceptualising paranoia in ASD: A systematic review and development of a theoretical framework. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 25 Read Abstract (New Window)
Starling J., Dossetor D. R. (2009) Pervasive developmental disorders and psychosis. Current Psychiatry Reports. 11(3), Read Abstract (New Window)
Totsika V. et al. (2010) Behavior problems, psychiatric symptoms, and quality of life for older adults with intellectual disability with and without autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 40(10), Read Abstract (New Window)