Warwick researchers join Autism charity for new mental health study

Autistica UK is to collaborate with Warwick’s Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR) and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) to conduct a study into mental health issues of those with autism.

Research from Autistica suggests that 70 percent of people with autism meet the criteria for one mental health condition, and 40 percent meet the criteria for two.

However, only one third are diagnosed as having mental health conditions, given the focus on social and communication issues of those with the condition, suggests the charity.

Joint-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), PhD fellow Charlotte Rowe will conduct the study of how experiences in early years affect children’s long term behaviour and mental health, as well as the effects of recent interventions.

The collaborative study sets as its target developing a range of treatments for mental health issues in those autism by 2020.

Chief executive of Autistica, Jon Spiers, stated that the stimulus to conduct the research came from consultations with the autism community: “A staggering three quarters of adults with autism told us that they wanted more evidence-based interventions to help with poor mental health.”

He continued: “A recent survey we undertook with parents of children on the autism spectrum showed us that support with stress and anxiety was their number one priority.”

Senior research fellow, Vasiliki Totsika, added that mental health problems caused “additional complications” to children with autism and their families.

“Once established, mental health problems tend to persist into adulthood.

“With this project, our aim is to map types of mental health problems that are more prevalent in childhood and adolescence, understand their trajectory through the early years and identify early risk factors.

“Findings from this work will inform much needed early intervention approaches for this group of children.”