High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults: Consequences for Primary Caregivers Compared to Schizophrenia and Depression

Abstract

Primary caregivers experience consequences from being in close contact to a person with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study used the Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire to explore the level of consequences of 104 caregivers involved with adults with High Functioning ASD (HF-ASD) and compared these with the consequences reported by caregivers of patients suffering from depression and schizophrenia. Caregivers involved with adults with an HF-ASD experience overall consequences comparable to those involved with patients with depression or schizophrenia. Worrying was the most reported consequence. More tension was experienced by the caregivers of ASD patients, especially by spouses. More care and attention for spouses of adults with an HF-ASD appears to be needed.

Helping a depressed Chinese adult with high functioning autism reconnect with his family through structural family therapy

“…However, adults with HFA may struggle to develop intimacy with their partners. Spouses of adults with HFA may experience profound distress comparable to that of spouses of adults with depression and schizophrenia (Grootscholten et al , ).…”

“…Adults with HFA may make up for their social deficits through rote learning and drilling of appropriate social skills, but a majority of them may withdraw from social interactions and live solitary lives. Hence, their impairment may be unrecognised until adolescence or adulthood (Grootscholten et al , ). Their prospects for higher educational attainment and open employment are better than in earlier decades, at least in Western societies such as Sweden (Engström, Ekström and Emilsson, ), due to earlier identification and early treatment of childhood ASD, and increased availability and accessibility of schooling and jobs in society (Poon and Sidhu, ).…”

The psychological impact of COVID-19 among a sample of Italian individuals with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Also de ned as Asperger syndrome in the tenth revision of the International Statistical Classi cation of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD10) and in the fourth revised edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HF-ASD) is a disorder characterized by de cits in social interaction, speci c or repetitive patterns of behaviors or interests and verbal or nonverbal communication di culties in the absence of intellectual disability or cognitive impairment (Intelligence Quotient > 70) (Ameli et al 1988). Although HF-ASD is often misdiagnosed or unrecognized and its prevalence is arguably underestimated, especially in adults, its impact on subjects' global functioning is often severe and symptoms commonly interfere with both individuals' and caregivers' quality of life (Kamp-Becker et al 2010;Grootscholten et al 2018). Subjects with HF-ASD have often di culties interpreting what other people are thinking or feeling, understanding and regulating their own emotions, interpreting others' facial expressions, body language, or social cues and maintaining the natural give-and-take of a conversation (Koyama et al 2007).…”

Proof of concept: The TRANSITION program for young adults with autism spectrum disorder and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…Overall, the literature underscores the importance of adequate support, knowledge, and skills to gradually increase one's independence. A lion's share of the responsibility for this currently rests with the caregivers, leading to an excessive caregiver burden [28][29][30]. This can also lead to unequal opportunities, if there are differences in how effectively caregivers can advocate for their children [20,31].…”