Most adults don't know they suffer from autism

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Most adults don't know they suffer from autism

ANI | May 5, 2011, 05.33pm IST

A study has found that most adults, who were identified with autism or

asperger's syndrome, did not know they had the condition.

Researchers led by the University of Leicester conducted a community survey in

England and made the discovery.

According to Dr Traolach Brugha, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of

Leicester, " the research has already revealed that autism was commoner in males,

those without higher educational qualifications, and those living in social

(government financed) housing. "

The findings emerge from the first ever general population survey of autism in

adulthood.

They are based on a two-phase epidemiological survey in England (7,461 screening

interviews; 618 diagnostic) carried out in 2007.

Brugha, who is also a consultant psychiatrist working in the NHS with the

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, said, " None of the cases with autism found

in the community survey throughout England knew that they were autistic or had

received an official diagnosis of autism or asperger syndrome. "

Brugha said, " The new scientific article confirms the already published report

from the survey (2009) that 9.8 per thousand adults in England meet official

diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder. "

There was no evidence of an " autism epidemic " of marked increase in people with

the condition.

" Overall our findings suggest that prevalence is neither rising nor falling

significantly over time, " he said.

" This favours the interpretation that methods of ascertainment (case finding)

have changed in more recent surveys of children compared to the earliest surveys

in which the rates reported were considerably lower, " he said.

In a comment on the possible causes of autism the researchers suggested that the

non-genetic or environmental causes of autism appear to be temporally constant,

and that recent apparent rises in rates of diagnosis must therefore reflect

better case finding, rather than some new environmental toxin.

" However, we would urge caution and the need for independent replication of this

first set of adult community survey findings, " the researchers said.

Brugha also drew attention to the newly reported finding that none of their

cases of autism were already known to have the condition.

" It is very concerning that none of the cases we confirmed using rigorous

diagnostic assessment methods in the community knew that they had the condition

or had an official diagnosis, " Brugha said.

The findings are now published fully in the world's leading peer refereed mental

health scientific journal the Archives of General Psychiatry.