Neuropsychiatric profile and psychotropic medication use in adults with autism spectrum disorder: results from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Adults with Autism

Rachael C Cvejic; Samuel R C Arnold; Kitty-Rose Foley; Julian N Trollor

doi:10.1192/bjo.2018.64

Neuropsychiatric profile and psychotropic medication use in adults with autism spectrum disorder: results from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Adults with Autism

BJPsych Open. 2018 Nov 13;4(6):461-466. doi: 10.1192/bjo.2018.64. eCollection 2018 Nov.

Authors

Rachael C Cvejic¹, Samuel R C Arnold², Kitty-Rose Foley³, Julian N Trollor⁴

Affiliations

¹ Lecturer, Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney, Australia.
² Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney and Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Australia.
³ Lecturer, Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney and School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Australia.
⁴ Chair, Intellectual Disability Mental Health and Head of Department, Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney and Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Australia.

Abstract

Background: Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a highly medicated group. Few studies have examined the neuropsychiatric profile and patterns of psychotropic medication use among adults with ASD.

Aims: To describe and compare the neuropsychiatric profile and psychotropic medication use in a cohort of adults with ASD and non-autistic controls.

Method: Baseline data from a survey-based, longitudinal study of adults with ASD in Australia. Participants were 188 adults with ASD and 115 controls aged 25-80 years.

Results: ASD was associated with increased odds of psychotropic medication use even when controlling for the presence of any neurological or psychiatric disorder. There were no corresponding indications for 14.4% of psychotropic medications prescribed to adults with ASD.

Conclusions: This study found substantial psychotropic prescribing for adults with ASD. Patterns of psychotropic medication use may reflect prescribing for behavioural indications despite limited evidence to support this practice.

Declaration of interest: None.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; prescribing; psychiatric disorder; psychotropic medication.