Understanding the characteristics of autistic adults accessing secondary community mental health team and the interventions they receive: a retrospective cohort study

Purpose Autistic people experience higher levels of mental health needs compared to the general population. This study aimed to inform service improvement and delivery by comparing the social demographic, and clinical characteristics including therapeutic interventions, of autistic adults accessing a community mental health team (CMHT) with the non-autistic population accessing the team. Design/methodology/approach The study carried out a retrospective review of electronic patient records of patients included in the study. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used to summarize the data. Where appropriate, categorical variables between autistic adults and non-autistic adults with mental health concerns were compared for statistical significance and p-values obtained. p < 0.05 was considered as significant. Findings Nine hundred sixty-four EPRs were reviewed. 54 (6%) had a recorded diagnosis of autism. There was a higher proportion of autistic people accessing CMHT, aged 18–25 compared to non-autistic people (p < 0.001). Similarly, a higher proportion of autistic people came from affluent areas compared to non-autistic people (p < 0.001). The percentage of individuals with autism who also had anxiety (44%) and personality disorders (31%) was higher compared to non-autistic people (17%, 12%, respectively). Mood disorders were diagnosed less in autistic adults (31% vs 74%). Lower proportions of autistic people received medications requiring oversight (13%). Research limitations/implications Mental health professionals need training to improve recognition of autism and co-occurring mental disorders and prevent diagnostic overshadowing. Services should consider reasonable adjustments to ensure access to autism informed interventions. They should co-develop diagnostic assessment pathways. Originality/value The study is based in a generic clinical context with the focus of autism which is seldom reported in the literature.