Longitudinal Analysis of Mental Health in Autistic University Students Across an Academic Year.
Matthew Scott, Jenni Leppanen, Melissa Allen and 2 others
PMID 35802290WHAT IT FOUND
Mental health scores for autistic students stayed high and stable across the academic year, even through early lockdown.
Avoidant coping linked to worse depression and anxiety. Alcohol use dropped significantly. The usual university adjustment benefit seen in other students did not occur.
Key findings
01Depression, anxiety, and other mental health scores remained above clinical cutoffs and showed no significant change over the academic year.
02Greater reliance on avoidant coping was associated with more severe depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and ARFID symptoms.
03Alcohol use decreased significantly between December and May, while drug use remained stable.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (n=22) and drawn from a single university, limiting generalizability. The sample was majority female (13 of 22) and majority White British, which may not represent the broader autistic student population. The study did not measure external factors like social connectedness or internal factors like camouflaging, which could influence mental health and coping. The coping measure was not collected at the first time point, so baseline coping data is missing. The study occurred during the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced results, particularly regarding alcohol use and social anxiety, though the authors note overall stability.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Autistic consultants were involved in the design and review of the manuscript.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that mental health problems in autistic students will resolve naturally as they adjust to university life. This study found that high levels of depression and anxiety remained stable throughout the year, unlike in non-autistic student populations where these often decrease over time.