What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to evaluate the prevalence of schizophrenia and related disorders in autistic individuals compared to the general population.

March 25, 2026Canadian Medical Association Journal0 citationsOpen Access

Autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring schizophrenia

NPNatalie PhungCentre for Addiction and Mental Health RGRachel GrebenCentre for Addiction and Mental Health NFNatasha FernandesCentre for Addiction and Mental Health

Key Points

This research aims to evaluate the prevalence of schizophrenia and related disorders in autistic individuals compared to the general population.
Conducted a meta-analysis to aggregate data on disorder prevalence.
Compared prevalence rates of schizophrenia in autistic individuals and the general population.
Examined larger studies focusing on autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Autistic individuals show a 4% prevalence of schizophrenia compared to 0.46% in the general population.
Reports indicate even higher rates in autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Abstract

A recent meta-analysis found that autistic individuals have a higher prevalence of these disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective, delusional), at 4%, than the general population, at 0.46%.11 Larger studies of autistic individuals with intellectual disability report higher prevalence of

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