Significant Share of Young Adults With Substance Use Disorder Have Autistic Traits

One in 5 young adults receiving outpatient treatment for a substance use disorder may have clinically elevated autistic traits, according to study findings published in The American Journal on Addictions.

“Usually studies of substance use disorder in autism are done in those with an autism diagnosis already,” said study lead author James McKowen, PhD, of the addiction recovery management service at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston. “We have looked at this question from the other side, asking how many people with substance use disorder have autism.”

Parents of 69 young adults receiving outpatient treatment at substance use disorder clinic completed the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2), which is designed to identify the presence and severity of social impairment among people on the autism spectrum. Young adults in the study ranged in age from 16 to 26 years.

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Some 20% of patients had elevated scores for autistic traits, the study found. In terms of demographic or psychiatric factors, there were few differences between young adults with elevated and nonelevated SRS-2 scores. However, young people with higher SRS-2 scores were more likely to have a stimulant use disorder (researchers reported a 7.59 odds ratio) or an opioid use disorder (5.02 odds ratio) compared with youth with nonelevated scores. They were also more likely to use alcohol the week before intake.

Researchers are working on a free clinical therapy protocol to help providers address issues surrounding autistic traits in people with substance use disorders.

“For clinicians, the big takeaway point from this study is that we need to get better at screening and certainly training in the presence of autism spectrum disorder, because many clinicians treat substance use disorder but don’t have specialty developmental training, particularly for issues around autism,” said Dr McKowen.

—Jolynn Tumolo

References

McKowen J, Woodward D, Yule AM, et al. Characterizing autistic traits in treatment-seeking young adults with substance use disorders. Am J Addict. Published online December 26, 2021. doi: 10.1111/ajad.13247

Undiagnosed autistic traits common among youths with substance use disorders. News release. Massachusetts General Hospital. January 24, 2022. Accessed January 28, 2022.