Nearly Half Experience Two or More Mental Health Disorders
The University of British Columbia’s department of psychology and the AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University have published a study which shows that over three-quarters of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have at least one mental health condition and close to half experience two mental health conditions or more. The research also found mental health conditions present in 44.8% of preschool age children with autism. The rate of mental health disorders in the general population of minors (ages 3-17) is only 14.1%. The study’s authors analyzed data from the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, which includes more than 42,000 caregivers with a total of 1,131 ASD-diagnosed children. The most common mental health conditions reported by parents and caregivers were anxiety, depression, behavior/conduct problems, Tourette syndrome and ADHD. Sadly, the study reported that mental health conditions became more prevalent as children with ASD grew older. The study’s researchers hope that their findings will lead to public policy changes for easier access to mental health treatments that will be approved and funded for children with autism.
