Version 1
: Received: 2 February 2024 / Approved: 2 February 2024 / Online: 4 February 2024 (17:11:17 CET)
Version 2
: Received: 22 February 2024 / Approved: 22 February 2024 / Online: 22 February 2024 (11:53:46 CET)
How to cite:
McCrossin, R. Female Teens and Young Adults with Mental Illness Who Are Autistic: How Common Is It and Why Is It Important?. Preprints2024, 2024020185. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0185.v2
McCrossin, R. Female Teens and Young Adults with Mental Illness Who Are Autistic: How Common Is It and Why Is It Important?. Preprints 2024, 2024020185. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0185.v2
McCrossin, R. Female Teens and Young Adults with Mental Illness Who Are Autistic: How Common Is It and Why Is It Important?. Preprints2024, 2024020185. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0185.v2
APA Style
McCrossin, R. (2024). Female Teens and Young Adults with Mental Illness Who Are Autistic: How Common Is It and Why Is It Important?. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0185.v2
Chicago/Turabian Style
McCrossin, R. 2024 "Female Teens and Young Adults with Mental Illness Who Are Autistic: How Common Is It and Why Is It Important?" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202402.0185.v2
Abstract
New information suggests female autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is much more common than previously thought, with a likely prevalence of 6% and with 80% undiagnosed at the age of 18. ASD then becomes a common comorbidity of female mental illness with nearly one in five women who develop a mental illness being autistic. ASD has heretofore been regarded as a pediatric condition and though now thought to be life long it is still not well recognized by adult health services. Most mental illness first presents in the teens and early twenties. Comorbid ASD is more difficult to diagnose due to diagnostic overshadowing, and ASD comorbidity maks the mental illness more severe and mor difficult to treat. Recognized ASD is readily treatable with an approach sympathetic to neurodiversity. Improving the pathway from adolescence to adulthood by increasing knowledge of autism in adult health services would dramatically improve female mental health at surprisingly little extra cost. It is low hanging fruit in a very fraught area of healthcare. This paper will examine the extent of the problem. It will explore solutions and quantify the gains of appropriate therapy.
Keywords
autistic female adolescent transition young adult comorbid mental illness Pareto
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
