The High Prevalence of Mental Health Problems Among Autistic People

Research shows that 80% of autistic people experience mental health problems during their lives, the most prevalent being anxiety. There is also a high prevalence of eating disorders, OCD, psychosis, depression, among others.

Some theorise that this is because autistic brains are different, making them more susceptible to mental health difficulties. That whatever wiring causes autistic people to be autistic is linked to the wiring that causes mental health problems.

There are other arguments put forward too. For example, studies show that autistic people struggle to sleep more than non-autistic people. This could make them more likely to have poor mental health. However, poor mental health likely causes the lack of sleep, rather than the other way around.

Although there could possibly be some biological element to it, I believe that autistic people have such high rates of mental illness because of how we are ostracised by the world and by society.

Autistic children are more likely to be bullied than non-autistic children. One study shows that they are 63% more likely to be bullied. However, this isn’t just children. More than 3 in 10 autistic adults have been bullied at work.

It’s not just the obvious acts of harm like bullying. It’s the more subtle acts. Where autistic people feel forced to suppress their true self (i.e. through masking) because they are shown time and time again that other people don’t accept who they truly are.

It’s the exhaustion of living in a world that caters wholly for neurotypicals and ridicules autistic people. How many times do autistic kids have to see peers use the word ‘autistic’ to name-call and mock others before they vow to never show that part of themselves?

Every-day autistic people work ten times harder to navigate society. The constant balancing of routine, emotions and not tipping the scales of anxiety too much requires a lot of effort, in order to avoid uncontrollable meltdowns or panic attacks that render us exhausted.

It’s no wonder autistic people are depressed. The world constantly tells us that we shouldn’t love ourselves. That we don’t deserve to be accepted for who we are.
It’s no wonder we are anxious. Our minds thrive on routine, predictability and literal language. The world around us does not.
It’s no wonder autistic people are more prone to eating disorders. From trauma and bullying due to being autistic, to needing a sense of control over a life which seems so out of control, to desperately wanting to fit in, to not being hungry because the anxiety is too much.

Feeling connected, understood and accepted by a community is a major part of having good mental health for most people. For an autistic person who feels misunderstood, unaccepted and disconnected, it’s no wonder they have poor mental health. Many autistic people report desperately wanting to connect with others but not knowing how because they are so traumatised from previous interactions with people and how they’ve been treated that they feel unable to connect with anyone anymore.

So the question is, what can we do about all this? The solution is not a simple one. It’s one which requires a whole system approach and for society to come together and declare that they actively want to help autistic people. In my opinion, solutions would be to eradicate bullying, teach children about autism from a very young age in school, increase awareness and acceptance of differences, increase support for autistic people and provide autistic communities where autistic people feel safe. There needs to be more education for everyone, especially professionals like GP’s. Then there needs to be proper support in place. Autistic communities, peer support, mentoring, support with finding housing and employment, funding for courses, etc. The list is endless.

What I do know is that our society needs to do a better job at accepting autistic people and helping to provide an environment in which we can thrive.