Objectives: The first aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the prevalence rates of co-occurring disorders during childhood and adolescence in individuals with ASD. The second aim was to investigate the stability from childhood to adolescence of co-occurring internalizing and externalizing disorders in individuals with ASD. As a third aim, we explored the factors that predict co-occurring disorders in adolescence in individuals with ASD.
Methods: The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) parental version was assessed to examine co-occurring disorders in individuals with ASD when they were 6-12 years old (T1) and again when they were 12-19 years old (T2). Several factors were explored as putative predictors of outcome at T2.
Results: Parents of 104 individuals took part in the DISC assessment both at T1 and T2. High prevalence rates of co-occurring disorders were found both in childhood (71%) and in adolescence (59%). Children with no co-occurring disorders in childhood were most likely to stay free of co-occurring disorders in adolescence. Children with internalizing as well as externalizing disorders in childhood were most likely to have any kind of co-occurring disorder in adolescence. High levels of socially not tuned behavior, resistance to change and stereotypies during childhood were predictive for the presence of co-occurring disorders in adolescence.
Conclusions: Children with ASD are likely to have co-occurring psychiatric disorders both in childhood and in adolescence. Especially individuals with internalizing as well as externalizing disorders, socially not tuned behavior, resistance to change and stereotypies in childhood are at highest risk for having co-occurring disorders in adolescence. Therefore, these factors have high prognostic relevance and should be evaluated or even treated in childhood.
See more of: Psychiatric/Behavioral Comorbidities
See more of: Symptoms, Diagnosis & Phenotype