Menstruation and menopause in autistic adults: Periods of importance?
Annabeth P Groenman, Carolien Torenvliet, Tulsi A Radhoe and 2 others
PMID 34825585WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic women reported more menopausal complaints than non-autistic women, particularly psychological and somatic symptoms.
However, the study did not find that autistic women experienced premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) more often. The link between menopausal symptoms and depression in autistic women was driven by one outlier.
Key findings
01Autistic women had higher total menopausal complaints and higher scores on psychological and somatic subscales compared to non-autistic women.
02Lifetime PMDD was reported by 14.3% of autistic women and 9.5% of non-autistic women, a difference that was not statistically significant.
03The association between total menopausal complaints and depression in autistic women was not significant after removing one participant with extreme scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied on self-reported menopausal status and complaints without hormonal verification, so it is unclear if participants were actually in menopause. The sample size was small (n=70 total), which limits the power to detect differences and increases the impact of outliers. Information on hormone therapy use was not collected, which could have influenced symptom severity. The association between menopausal complaints and depression in autistic women was driven by a single participant with extreme scores, making the finding unstable. The study did not assess whether menopausal complaints change over time or differ in duration between groups.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was funded by the Innovational Research Incentives Scheme VICI (NWO).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that autistic women have a higher prevalence of PMDD based on this study, as the difference was not statistically significant. Also, do not conclude that menopausal complaints directly cause depression in autistic women, as this association was driven by a single outlier and disappeared when that participant was removed.