Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder often co-occurs with other psychiatric disorders. Although a high prevalence of autistic-like traits/symptoms has been identified in the pediatric psychiatric population of normal intelligence, there are no reports from adult psychiatric population. This study examined whether there is a greater prevalence of autistic-like traits/symptoms in patients with adult-onset psychiatric disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, and whether such an association is independent of symptom severity. The subjects were 290 adults of normal intelligence between 25 and 59 years of age (MDD, n=125; bipolar disorder, n=56; schizophrenia, n=44; healthy controls, n=65). Autistic-like traits/symptoms were measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale for Adults. Symptom severity was measured using the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and/or the Young Mania Rating Scale. Almost half of the clinical subjects, except those with remitted MDD, exhibited autistic-like traits/symptoms at levels typical for sub-threshold or threshold autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, the proportion of psychiatric patients that demonstrated high autistic-like traits/symptoms was significantly greater than that of healthy controls, and not different between that of remitted or unremitted subjects with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. On the other hand, remitted subjects with MDD did not differ from healthy controls with regard to the prevalence or degree of high autistic-like traits/symptoms. A substantial proportion of adults with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia showed high autistic-like traits/symptoms independent of symptom severity, suggesting a shared pathophysiology among autism spectrum disorder and these psychiatric disorders. Conversely, autistic-like traits among subjects with MDD were associated with the depressive symptom severity. These findings suggest the importance of evaluating autistic-like traits/symptoms underlying adult-onset psychiatric disorders for the best-suited treatment. Further studies with a prospective design and larger samples are needed.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early-onset, life-long developmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social reciprocity and social communication, as well as restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities [1]
This study revealed that approximately 70% of children with ASD suffered from at least one comorbid Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) axis-I psychiatric disorder such as social anxiety disorder, attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and oppositional defiant disorder (30% each)
10% of children with ASD had experienced a period of depression or irritability, despite the fact that major depressive disorder (MDD) or dysthymic disorder was identified in less than 1% of children with ASD
Summary
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early-onset, life-long developmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social reciprocity and social communication, as well as restricted, repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities [1]. It has been recognized that youth with ASD often have co-occurring psychiatric disorders [3,4,5] Such co-occurrence may negatively impact social and academic performance, even for those who have an intelligence quotient (IQ) within the normal range [6]. 10% of children with ASD had experienced a period of depression or irritability, despite the fact that major depressive disorder (MDD) or dysthymic disorder was identified in less than 1% of children with ASD. Psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia (SZ) or bipolar disorder (BPD) were not observed in this sample
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
