Rising autism trends in an Indian inpatient population- a pilot study

Background: Global literature suggests concerns in rising trends of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Objectives: This study aims at comparing the diagnostic profiles of inpatients in an Indian tertiary child and adolescent psychiatric unit over three decades.

Methods: Data from the inpatient Child and Adolescent psychiatry (CAP) unit at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India were used for descriptive analyses of the diagnosed psychiatric disorders during the years 1987, 1996 and 2002. Changes over time in rates of diagnosis of ASD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other disorders were examined and compared.

Results: During the years 1987, 1996 and 2002 there were 160, 143 and 309 new admissions respectively. The most common diagnoses were ASD, ADHD, dissociative disorder, bipolar disorder, psychoses and depressive disorders. The diagnosis rates of ASD had increased by eight-fold and that of ADHD had doubled.

Conclusions: Over the decades the biggest change has been the increase in the number of children admitted with ASD and ADHD. The reasons for the same could be a true increase in the prevalence of these disorders, increased community awareness and/ or a change in the admission policy and referral pattern of the CAP unit.