Mental Health Hospitalizations Common in Adults With Autism
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2025 -- Mental health hospitalizations are more common among adults with autism, with more than one-third of all admissions tied to mental health conditions for those with autism, according to a study published in the June issue of Research in Autism.
Using the National Readmission Database (2019), Jessica E. Rast, Ph.D., from the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University in Philadelphia, and colleagues estimated U.S. national rates of mental health hospitalization (MHH) and 30-day all-cause readmission among adults with autism, intellectual disability (ID), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other mental health conditions.
The researchers found that more than one-third (36 percent) of all admissions for adults with autism in 2019 were MHHs, with schizophrenia the most common reason. Among all index MHHs in adults with autism, 17 percent had a 30-day all-cause readmission. In adults with autism and ID, readmissions were more common than in adults with autism without ID (25 versus 15 percent). Readmission was also slightly more common in female adults with autism versus male adults with autism (20 versus 16 percent; odds ratio, 1.30). Having schizophrenia with an initial admission was associated with increased odds of readmission for all groups (odds ratio, 1.37).
"The identification of such high rates of both mental health hospitalizations and readmissions should be an impetus for more research into improving the systems that currently mis-serve autistic people with mental health concerns," said Rast in a statement.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2025
Read this next
Suicide-Specific Therapy App Effectively Cuts Suicidal Behavior in High-Risk Inpatients
THURSDAY, Aug. 14, 2025 -- A mobile phone app designed to deliver suicide-specific therapy reduces suicidal behavior among high-risk psychiatric inpatients, according to a study...
Risk for Incident CVD Increased for Women Who Reported Experiencing Stalking
MONDAY, Aug. 11, 2025 -- Women who report experiencing stalking and obtaining a restraining order have an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to...
People With Disabilities Have High Rates of Loneliness
FRIDAY, Aug. 8, 2025 -- Loneliness among people with disabilities (PWD) is high, according to a study published online Aug. 5 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Maggie...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.