Psychiatric Comorbidity in Adolescents and Young Adults With Autism

This article reports the findings of a study investigating rates and types of comorbid mental disorder evident in adolescents and young adults with autism. A sample of 84 young people (M = 19.5 years, SD = 4.6) with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association, 2000 American Psychiatric Association (APA). 2000. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th, Washington, DC: Author. text revision [Google Scholar]) autistic disorder participated in the study. Comorbid mental disorder was assessed through a semistructured comprehensive clinical interview with all participants and caregivers and supplemented by quantitative questionnaires. The results revealed that 42% of the young people with autism in the sample had an additional comorbid mental disorder, a rate 2 to 4 times that found among typically developing young people. All diagnoses were made according to DSM-IV-TR and International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition criteria (ICD-10; World Health Organization, 1992 World Health Organization (WHO). 1992. ICD-10: Classification of mental and behavioural disorders. Clinical description and diagnostic guidelines, Geneva, , Switzerland: Author. [Google Scholar]). A range of mood (17%), anxiety (12%), adjustment (8%), and disruptive behavior (12%) disorders were diagnosed.