Common debilitating health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and neck and back pain, may be under-diagnosed in autistic people, finds a new study led by UCL researchers. The study, in , analyzed whether autistic people experience similar rates of five common mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, , harmful alcohol use, and substance use), and three common physical health conditions (migraine, neck/back pain, and gynecological issues), compared to people of the same age and sex who have not been diagnosed as autistic. The team used anonymized data from GP practices throughout the U.
K. to study people who received an between 2000 to 2019. They studied 15,675 people diagnosed as autistic without a learning disability and 6,437 participants diagnosed as autistic with a learning disability.
They then compared these groups with people of the same age and sex, who had not been diagnosed as autistic. Research suggests that some health conditions are much more common among autistic people. The GP records of diagnoses did not appear to reflect this, which might suggest that autistic people are less likely to receive diagnoses for common health conditions.
The researchers found that were about twice as likely to have a GP record of self-harm—highlighting how autistic people have greater unmet mental health support needs compared to the general population. Autistic adults without a learning disability were 80%–90% more likely to receive a new diagnosis of anxiety or dep.
