Background: Between 55-94% of autistic people experience at least one co-occurring psychiatric condition (Hossain et al., 2020). Psychiatric medications are a common treatment approach (Feroe et al., 2021), yet autistic adults face many barriers to accessing and navigating healthcare services, including sensory and procedural challenges in clinical settings (Mazurek et al., 2020). These barriers likely contribute to their overall experience of lower quality healthcare compared to non-autistic peers (Weir et al., 2022). A systematic review on interventions to address health outcomes among autistic adults identified very little research on the impact of pharmacological interventions for autistic people (Benevides et al., 2020). Understanding how autistic people experience, perceive, and manage psychiatric medication is critical to inform best practices that mitigate barriers to receiving necessary healthcare and improve quality of life and well-being. Objectives: To characterize autistic adults’ experiences, opinions, and support needs related to pharmacotherapy for co-occurring mental health conditions, and examine how these are associated with mental health outcomes. Methods: An anonymous, online survey was developed using the Autistic SPACE framework (Doherty et al., 2023), assessing Sensory needs, Predictability, Acceptance, Communication, and Empathy in relation to medication experiences. Participants also completed brief measures about their support needs (WHODAS 2.0, 12-item), autism characteristics (RAADS-14), ADHD characteristics (ASRS-v1.1), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Data collection is underway via a statewide autism research registry affiliated with the researcher’s institution. This database includes over 4,000 autistic adults who have consented for contact about research studies. The registry has projected a 10% response rate, to fulfil a target sample size of 400 autistic adults. Data collection will conclude by late 2025. Results: Descriptive statistics will summarize patterns of psychiatric medication use (current, past, never), the number and classes of medications endorsed, and how these may differ according to self-reported mental and physical health conditions. Linear and logistic regression models will examine relationships among medication engagement, medication satisfaction, and mental health outcomes. It is hypothesized that satisfaction with current psychiatric medications will be associated with lower anxiety and depression. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses will identify barriers to accessing pharmacotherapy for autistic adults with key recommendations for healthcare providers to improve patient experiences.
Frances Margaret Perez (Tue,) studied this question.