774292_Arnold,S_2019.pdf (416.04 kB)
Cohort profile: The Australian Longitudinal Study of Adults with Autism
journal contribution
posted on 2022-03-28, 04:06 authored by Samuel RC Arnold, Kitty-Rose Foley, Ye In Huang, Amanda RichdaleAmanda Richdale, Mirko UljarevicMirko Uljarevic, Lauren LawsonLauren Lawson, Ru Cai, Torbjorn Falkmer, Marita Falkmer, Nick Lennox, Anna Urbanowicz, Julian TrollorPurpose There is a significant knowledge gap regarding the lives of adults on the autism spectrum. Some literature suggests significant health and mental health inequalities for autistic adults, yet there is a lack of comprehensive longitudinal studies exploring risk factors. Further, most research does not include the perspective of autistic adults in its conduct or design. Here, we describe the baseline characteristics and inclusive research approach of a nationwide longitudinal study. Participants The Autism Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism's Australian Longitudinal Study of Adults with Autism (ALSAA) is a questionnaire-based longitudinal study of autistic adults (25+ years old) with follow-up at 2-year intervals. Autistic advisors were involved in each stage of research apart from data analysis. Three questionnaires were developed: self-report, informant report (ie, proxy report) and carers (ie, carer experiences and characteristics). Findings to date An inclusive research protocol was developed and agreed with autistic advisors. Baseline data were collected from 295 autistic adults (M=41.8 years, SD=12.0) including 42 informant responses, 146 comparison participants and 102 carers. The majority of autistic participants (90%) had been diagnosed in adulthood (M=35.3 years, SD=15.1). When compared with controls, autistic adults scored higher on self-report measures of current depression and anxiety. Participant comments informed ongoing data gathering. Participants commented on questionnaire length, difficulty with literal interpretation of forced response items and expressed gratitude for research in this area. Future plans A large comprehensive dataset relating to autistic adults and their carers has been gathered, creating a good platform for longitudinal follow-up repeat surveys and collaborative research. Several outputs are in development, with focus on health service barriers and usage, caregivers, impact of diagnosis in adulthood, further scale validations, longitudinal analyses of loneliness, suicidal ideation, mental illness risk factors and other areas. Baseline data confirm poorer mental health of autistic adults. The ALSAA demonstrates a working approach to inclusive research.
Funding
This work was supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), established and supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Centres Program.
History
Publication Date
2019-01-01Journal
BMJ OpenVolume
9Issue
12Article Number
ARTN e030798Pagination
16p.Publisher
BMJISSN
2044-6055Rights Statement
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re- use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.Publisher DOI
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Science & TechnologyLife Sciences & BiomedicineMedicine, General & InternalGeneral & Internal MedicineFORM HEALTH SURVEYQUALITY-OF-LIFESPECTRUM DISORDERPARTICIPATORY RESEARCHPSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIESINCLUSIVE RESEARCHMEDICATION USESHORT VERSIONOUTCOMESVALIDITYadultautismlongitudinalAdultAgedAustraliaAutistic DisorderFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSurveys and Questionnaires