Prevalence of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders in Average-IQ Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Meta-analysis.
Expect schizophrenia spectrum disorders in about 1 of every 17 average-IQ adults with autism—screen accordingly.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lugo Marín et al. (2018) pooled 10 smaller studies. They asked one question: how many average-IQ adults with autism also have schizophrenia spectrum disorders?
They only looked at people with normal-range IQ. They left out anyone with intellectual disability.
What they found
About 6 out of every 100 adults with autism and average IQ also have a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.
That is roughly one person in every 17 you serve.
How this fits with other research
Tsakanikos et al. (2006) and Porter et al. (2008) found no extra mental-health risk in autistic adults who also have intellectual disability. Jorge’s numbers look higher, but the gap vanishes when you notice IQ. The older studies kept people with ID; Jorge removed them.
Boudreau et al. (2015) widened the lens. They showed autistic adults carry higher risk for almost every major health problem, not just schizophrenia. Jorge gives the fine-grain detail for one slice of that bigger picture.
Lerner et al. (2012) first spotted schizophrenia traits in school-age kids with autism. Jorge confirms the link still matters after those kids grow up.
Why it matters
If you assess or support average-IQ adults with autism, plan to screen for hallucinations, delusions, or disorganized speech. One in 17 means you will meet these clients. Early ID lets you coordinate psychiatric care before behavior spirals.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Since their separation as independent diagnostics, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) have been conceptualized as mutually exclusive disorders. Similarities between both disorders can lead to misdiagnosis, especially when it comes to average-IQ adults who were not identified during childhood. The aim of this review was to examine the occurrence of SSD in average-IQ adults with ASD. Electronic and manual searches identified a total of 278 references, of which 10 were included in a meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of SSD in the total ASD sample was close to 6%, pointing to a high co-occurrence of the two conditions. Further research is needed to determine the factors that predispose members of this population to the emergence of psychotic disorders.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2018 · doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3328-5