Experience of mental health diagnosis and perceived misdiagnosis in autistic, possibly autistic and non-autistic adults

Au-Yeung, Sheena K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0516-4755, Bradley, Louise ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4136-8816, Robertson, Ashley E ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9914-3199, Shaw, Rebecca, Baron-Cohen, Simon and Cassidy, Sarah ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1982-3034 (2019) Experience of mental health diagnosis and perceived misdiagnosis in autistic, possibly autistic and non-autistic adults. Autism, 23 (6). pp. 1508-1518. ISSN 1362-3613

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1362361318818167

Abstract

Previous research shows that autistic people have high levels of co-occurring mental health conditions. Yet, a number of case reports have revealed that mental health conditions are often misdiagnosed in autistic individuals. A total of 420 adults who identified as autistic, possibly autistic or non-autistic completed an online survey consisting of questions regarding mental health diagnoses they received, whether they agreed with those diagnoses and if not why. Autistic and possibly autistic participants were more likely to report receiving mental health diagnoses compared to non-autistic participants, but were less likely to agree with those diagnoses. Thematic analysis revealed the participants’ main reasons for disagreement were that (1) they felt their autism characteristics were being confused with mental health conditions by healthcare professionals and (2) they perceived their own mental health difficulties to be resultant of ASC. Participants attributed these to the clinical barriers they experienced, including healthcare professionals’ lack of autism awareness and lack of communication, which in turn prevented them from receiving appropriate support. This study highlights the need for autism awareness training for healthcare professionals and the need to develop tools and interventions to accurately diagnose and effectively treat mental health conditions in autistic individuals.

Item Type:	Article (Article)
Peer-reviewed:	Yes
Date Deposited:	21 Mar 2024 09:17
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Additional Information:	This is an accepted manuscript of an article which appeared in final form in Autism. Users who receive access to an article through a repository are reminded that the article is protected by copyright and reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses. Users may also download and save a local copy of an article accessed in an institutional repository for the user's personal reference. For permission to reuse an article, please follow SAGE Publications' Process for Requesting Permission: https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/process-for-requesting-permission
Divisions:	Faculties > Health and Education
Subject terms:	Humans, Diagnostic Errors, Mental Disorders, Autistic Disorder, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Middle Aged, Female, Male, Young Adult, Surveys and Questionnaires, adults, autism spectrum disorders, diagnosis, mixed methods, prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity, qualitative research, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Autistic Disorder, Diagnostic Errors, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Disorders, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult, 1303 Specialist Studies in Education, 1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences, Developmental & Child Psychology
URI:	https://e-space.mmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/634132
DOI:	https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318818167
ISSN	1362-3613
e-ISSN	1461-7005

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