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

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

Western Sydney University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	461-466
Number of pages	6
Journal	BJPsych Open
Volume	4
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2018.64
Publication status	Published - 2018

Open Access - Access Right Statement

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.

Access to Document

10.1192/bjo.2018.64

Cite this

@article{3a8f678b8d8c4e1c930cbe7a692df154,

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

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.",

author = "Cvejic, {Rachael C.} and Arnold, {Samuel R. C.} and Kitty-Rose Foley and Trollor, {Julian N.}",

year = "2018",

doi = "10.1192/bjo.2018.64",

language = "English",

volume = "4",

pages = "461--466",

journal = "BJPsych Open",

issn = "2056-4724",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Neuropsychiatric profile and psychotropic medication use in adults with autism spectrum disorder : results from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Adults with Autism

AU - Cvejic, Rachael C.

AU - Arnold, Samuel R. C.

AU - Foley, Kitty-Rose

AU - Trollor, Julian N.

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - https://hdl.handle.net/1959.7/uws:70889

U2 - 10.1192/bjo.2018.64

DO - 10.1192/bjo.2018.64

M3 - Article

SN - 2056-4724

VL - 4

SP - 461

EP - 466

JO - BJPsych Open

JF - BJPsych Open

IS - 6

ER -

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

Abstract

Open Access - Access Right Statement

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this