5. We are understanding more about how mental illnesses develop in autistic individuals

Autism is not a mental illness, however people with autism are more likely to develop a mental illness than the general population.

MQ Fellow Dr Mark Taylor has identified some of the factors that can increase this risk which include genetic predisposition, the likelihood of misdiagnosis (Especially in autistic women) and having additional diagnosis such as an intellectual disability or a physical condition such as chronic pain or hypermobility.

“We are starting to get an understanding of the factors that may cause mental health problems in autistic people. Some of these may be factors that increase the risk of mental illness in everyone, such as having a family history of mental illness and having physical illnesses. Others might be more specific to being autistic, such as being diagnosed late with autism and having an intellectual disability in addition to autism. We need to identify more of these factors, so we can make sure we offer support to those most at risk of developing mental health problems at an earlier stage.” – Dr Mark Taylor