Autism & comorbidities

Autistic people are more likely to have other conditions co-occurring at the same time (called comorbidity).

Obesity and eating disorders [1]

30% of autistic people are obese, compared to 13% in the neurotypical population.
Autism may be linked with eating disorders, such as restricting food intake due to sensory difficulties
Autistic people may be more likely to experience mood disorders and then use food to self-soothe and manage difficult emotions.

Depression [2]

Autism and depression co-occur at a high rate. Research suggests that autistic people are 4x more likely to experience depression than neurotypical people.
Depression will relate to internal thoughts and assumptions of self-worth, autistic people are more likely to have more negative internal thoughts due to the difficulties they can go through associated with autism, and the fact that they live in a world built around neurotypical people.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) [3]

When autism and ADHD co-occur, we call this AuDHD. Both conditions have shared characteristics with some overlap.
We know that people with ADHD are likely to be more impulsive and seek new experiences, whereas autistic people commonly prefer routine and repeating known experiences. This creates a push and pulls struggle for people diagnosed with both conditions, as traits are competing.

Anxiety [4]

Some autistic people experience high anxiety symptoms every day, due to having to navigate difficult social and interpersonal circumstances.
We know around 40-50% of autistic people receive a clinical diagnosis of anxiety.
A change in routine and expectation can contribute significantly to high anxiety levels in autistic people.

Sleep issues [5]

As many as four in five autistic children can struggle with chronic sleep problems.
Significantly linked to restrictive and repetitive behaviour (rocking, stimming, playing etc.); this can lead to feeling restless and being unable to fall asleep.
Sleep hygiene may be more difficult to implement for an autistic person due to specific rituals
Research suggests poor sleepers exhibit more challenging behaviours than autistic people who sleep adequately.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) [6]

Many behaviours associated with OCD such as anxiety, repetitive behaviours and social problems are associated with ASD.
This combination may seen ritualistic behaviour as more common, which can make those affected engage in obsessive and compulsive behaviour more often.
Different behaviours may be underpinned by the two different conditions, but can interact with each other. For example, an autistic person with OCD may turn a switch on and off not for the obsessive and compulsive reason, but for stimulation and repetitive behaviour linked with ASD.

References

[1] The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (2017). Autism’s Clinical Companions: Frequent Comorbidities with ASD | Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. [online] Chop.edu. Available at: https://www.chop.edu/news/autism-s-clinical-companions-frequent-comorbidities-asd.

[2] Autistica. (2024). Depression and autism | What is autism? | Autistica. [online] Available at: https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-autism/depression-and-autism.

[3] Autistica. (2024). ADHD and autism. [online] Available at: https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-autism/adhd-and-autism.

[4] National Autistic Society (2023). Anxiety. National Autistic Society. [online] Available at: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/anxiety.

[5] Autism Speaks. (2019). Sleep | Autism Speaks. [online] Available at: https://www.autismspeaks.org/sleep.

[6] Gorbis, E. (2010). International OCD Foundation | Treatments for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder comorbid with Autism Spectrum Disorder. [online] International OCD Foundation. Available at: https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/treatments-for-obsessive-compulsive-disorder-comorbid-with-autism-spectrum-disorder/.

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