Journal
AUTISM
Volume 23, Issue 6, Pages 1431-1441Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/1362361318816053
Keywords
Autism spectrum condition; mental health; self-injury; suicide; support; treatment
Categories
Funding
- Economic and Social Research Council [ES/N000501/2]
- Autistica [7247]
- Coventry University
- Autism Research Trust
- MRC
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care East of England at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
- Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) [115300]
- EFPIA companies
- ESRC [ES/N000501/1, ES/N000501/2] Funding Source: UKRI
- MRC [G0600977] Funding Source: UKRI
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Autistic people are at high risk of mental health problems, self-injury and suicidality. However, no studies have explored autistic peoples' experiences of treatment and support for these difficulties. In partnership with a steering group of autistic adults, an online survey was developed to explore these individuals' experiences of treatment and support for mental health problems, self-injury and suicidality for the first time. A total of 200 autistic adults (122 females, 77 males and 1 unreported) aged 18-67 (mean = 38.9 years, standard deviation = 11.5), without co-occurring intellectual disability, completed the online survey. Thematic analysis of open-ended questions resulted in an overarching theme that individually tailored treatment and support was both beneficial and desirable, which consisted of three underlying themes: (1) difficulties in accessing treatment and support; (2) lack of understanding and knowledge of autistic people with co-occurring mental health difficulties and (3) appropriate treatment and support, or lack of, impacted autistic people's well-being and likelihood of seeing suicide as their future. Findings demonstrate an urgent need for autism treatment pathways in mental health services.
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