Navigating a system not built for us: autism and primary care talking therapies

Sometimes, it can be difficult being autistic. From camouflaging and burnout to the perils of navigating a world that was not designed for us, it is unsurprising that we are four times more likely than people without an autism diagnosis to have depression 1 Hudson CC Hall L Harkness KL Prevalence of depressive disorders in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019; 47: 165-175 Crossref PubMed Scopus (169) Google Scholar and nearly three times more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. 2 Lai MC Kassee C Besney R et al. Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2019; 6: 819-829 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (667) Google Scholar Therefore, it raises the question whether we receive the necessary treatment. Céline El Baou and colleagues attempted to address this issue in their cohort study in The Lancet Psychiatry. 3 El Baou C Bell G Saunders R et al. Effectiveness of primary care psychological therapy services for treating depression and anxiety in autistic adults in England: a retrospective, matched, observational cohort study of national health-care records. Lancet Psychiatry. 2023; 10: 944-954 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF Scopus (2) Google Scholar Effectiveness of primary care psychological therapy services for treating depression and anxiety in autistic adults in England: a retrospective, matched, observational cohort study of national health-care recordsEvidence-based psychological therapy for depression or anxiety might be effective for autistic adults but less so than for adults without identified autism. Treatment moderators appear different for autistic individuals, so more research is needed to allow for better targeted and personalised care. Full-Text PDF Open Access