Mental Health Issues in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

As individuals with autism become older, they are at increased risk for various mental health conditions. Rates of anxiety and depression appear to be the most clearly increased (although rates vary depending on samples and methods used). Suicidal thinking and sometimes suicidal actions are also increased. Other noteworthy problems include issues of gender identity and substance abuse. Sadly, the data on middle-aged and older adults are generally lacking. Interpretation of available data is complex. Often results of treatment studies are too readily generalized from one age group to another. Studies of mental health issues in adults with ASD repeatedly comment on the need for better and more precise instruments. Working with individuals who have multiple needs is particularly challenging – especially when solid evidence-based treatment guidelines are lacking. Issues of treatment choice and cost effectiveness remain to be addressed. Fortunately, a small but growing body of work in the areas both of drug and psychotherapeutic treatments has begun to emerge. As noted previously in this chapter, a few psychological treatments have now been demonstrated to be effective in dealing with mental health problems in ASD and developing new models of research and care that integrate both medical and psychological care in adolescents and adults are critically needed.