TY - JOUR
T1 - The Mental and Physical Health Profiles of Older Adults Who Endorse Elevated Autistic Traits
AU - Stewart, Gavin R.
AU - Corbett, Anne
AU - Ballard, Clive
AU - Creese, Byron
AU - Aarsland, Dag
AU - Hampshire, Adam
AU - Charlton, Rebecca A.
AU - Happé, Francesca
N1 - Funding Information:
This work represents independent research funded in part by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London. This research was also supported by the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care, South West Peninsula and the NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility. The first author was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council [grant number ES/P000703/1] via the London Interdisciplinary Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/11/1
Y1 - 2021/11/1
N2 - Objectives: The mental and physical health profile of autistic people has been studied in adolescence and adulthood, with elevated rates of most conditions being reported. However, this has been little studied taking a dimensional approach to autistic traits and in older age. Methods: A total of 20,220 adults aged 50-81 years from the PROTECT study reported whether they experienced persistent sociocommunicative traits characteristic of autism. Approximately 1%, 276 individuals, were identified as endorsing elevated autistic traits in childhood and currently, henceforth the "Autism Spectrum Trait" (AST) group. An age- and gender-matched comparison group was formed of 10,495 individuals who did not endorse any autistic behavioral traits, henceforth the "Control Older Adults" (COA) group. Differences between AST and COA groups were explored in self-reported psychiatric diagnoses, self-reported symptoms of current depression and anxiety, and self-reported physical health diagnoses. Associations were also examined between autistic traits and health across the whole sample. Results: The AST group reported significantly elevated rates of psychiatric diagnoses compared to the COA group. Additionally, the AST group showed significantly higher self-reported symptoms of current depression and anxiety than the COA group. However, few differences were observed in individual physical health conditions, and no differences in total co-occurring physical diagnoses between groups. Similar associations between autistic traits and health were also found taking a dimensional approach across the whole sample. Discussion: These findings suggest that older adults with elevated autistic traits may be at greater risk of poorer mental, but not physical, health in later life. Future studies should incorporate polygenic scores to elucidate the possible genetic links between the propensity to autism/high autistic traits and to psychiatric conditions, and to explore whether those with elevated autistic traits experience particular barriers to mental health care.
AB - Objectives: The mental and physical health profile of autistic people has been studied in adolescence and adulthood, with elevated rates of most conditions being reported. However, this has been little studied taking a dimensional approach to autistic traits and in older age. Methods: A total of 20,220 adults aged 50-81 years from the PROTECT study reported whether they experienced persistent sociocommunicative traits characteristic of autism. Approximately 1%, 276 individuals, were identified as endorsing elevated autistic traits in childhood and currently, henceforth the "Autism Spectrum Trait" (AST) group. An age- and gender-matched comparison group was formed of 10,495 individuals who did not endorse any autistic behavioral traits, henceforth the "Control Older Adults" (COA) group. Differences between AST and COA groups were explored in self-reported psychiatric diagnoses, self-reported symptoms of current depression and anxiety, and self-reported physical health diagnoses. Associations were also examined between autistic traits and health across the whole sample. Results: The AST group reported significantly elevated rates of psychiatric diagnoses compared to the COA group. Additionally, the AST group showed significantly higher self-reported symptoms of current depression and anxiety than the COA group. However, few differences were observed in individual physical health conditions, and no differences in total co-occurring physical diagnoses between groups. Similar associations between autistic traits and health were also found taking a dimensional approach across the whole sample. Discussion: These findings suggest that older adults with elevated autistic traits may be at greater risk of poorer mental, but not physical, health in later life. Future studies should incorporate polygenic scores to elucidate the possible genetic links between the propensity to autism/high autistic traits and to psychiatric conditions, and to explore whether those with elevated autistic traits experience particular barriers to mental health care.
KW - ASD
KW - Autistic traits
KW - Mental health
KW - Physical health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85122599636&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/geronb/gbaa112
DO - 10.1093/geronb/gbaa112
M3 - Article
C2 - 32756953
AN - SCOPUS:85122599636
SN - 1079-5014
VL - 76
SP - 1726
EP - 1737
JO - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
JF - Journals of Gerontology - Series B Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
IS - 9
ER -
