Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Inpatient Adolescent Psychiatric Population.
Graciela Kriegel, Sayani Paul, Kate H Leonard and 1 others
PMID 37022576WHAT IT FOUND
Twenty of 173 adolescents admitted to inpatient psychiatric units were diagnosed with ASD (11.56%), versus 1.52% in Canadian children and youth.
Prenatal and perinatal factors did not separate the groups.
Key findings
01Twenty of 173 inpatient adolescents were diagnosed with ASD, a prevalence of 11.56%, higher than the 1.52% reported in Canadian children and youth.
02Thirteen of 20 participants with ASD were male, and boys made up 65% of the ASD group compared with 39% of the non-ASD group.
03Gestational age, maternal age, paternal age, and maternal place of birth did not differ between participants with and without ASD; birth weight showed a trend but was not significant.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study excluded adolescents with IQ below 70, so it does not describe prevalence in more cognitively impaired inpatients. Not all patients with ASD consented to participate, so the reported prevalence may be an underestimate. Some data were collected before DSM-5 was published, and one site used DSM-IV-TR criteria, so changing diagnostic definitions may affect the rate. Participants without an immediate caregiver often lacked information needed for assessment, which could affect ASD diagnosis. Camouflaging or masking autistic symptoms was not considered, and girls may be underdiagnosed. The ASD group was small, and site samples were too small to present sex results separately. The two sites had different age ranges and diagnostic criteria, which may affect comorbidity and age comparisons.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 11.56% prevalence as a true rate for all adolescent psychiatric inpatients. The study excluded people with IQ below 70, not all patients consented, and some data predated DSM-5, so the rate may be an underestimate.