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Dückert S, Gewohn P, König H, Schöttle D, Konnopka A, Rahlff P, Erik F, Vogeley K, Schulz H, David N, Peth J. Barriers and needs in mental healthcare of adults with autism spectrum disorder in Germany: a qualitative study in autistic adults, relatives, and healthcare providers. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:528. [PMID: 37479974 PMCID: PMC10362719 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05026-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism refers to a neurodevelopmental condition with characteristic impairments in social interaction and communication, restrictive and repetitive behaviors, as well as difficulties in sensory information processing and daily living skills. Even though symptoms persist from early childhood throughout the lifespan and often require long-term support, there is a lack of mental health services that sufficiently meet the needs of autistic adults. Previous evidence suggested individual, professional and structural barriers to healthcare for autistic adults. Here, using a peer research approach, we sought to systematically investigate barriers and needs in mental healthcare of autistic adults in Germany at the three relevant levels (individual, professional, structural) and from three relevant perspectives (autistic adults, relatives and healthcare providers), in order to obtain specific recommendations for optimized healthcare. METHODS Maximum variation sampling was used to account for the complexity of the research field. Semi-structured, open-ended interviews were conducted with autistic adults (n = 15) and focus groups with relatives/partners (n = 12), and healthcare providers of several professions (n = 15). Data analysis was performed using the codebook approach of thematic analysis. RESULTS Poor mental healthcare of autistic adults in Germany was characterized by six central and overarching themes: (i) lack of knowledge about autism, (ii) a need for increased participation/involvement, (iii) consideration of autism-specific needs in treatment, (iv) lack of services, (v) limited access to services, and (vi) improvement of stakeholder collaboration. Themes were similarly reported across participants, emphasizing dissatisfaction in all stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS We identified major barriers to mental healthcare for autistic adults in Germany that affect autistic adults, but are also of concern to relatives and healthcare providers. Our results point to specific and generic areas for improvement, independent of stakeholder perspectives, which could guide future development of needs- and evidence-based services, recommendations and guidelines of mental healthcare for people with autism across the lifespan. TRIAL REGISTRATION This study protocol was preregistered at the Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/5x8pg ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Dückert
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Petia Gewohn
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg- Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hannah König
- Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Schöttle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg- Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Konnopka
- Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Pascal Rahlff
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Frank- Erik
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kai Vogeley
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Holger Schulz
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicole David
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Judith Peth
- Department of Medical Psychology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
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Hai Y, Leng G. A more than four-fold sex-specific difference of autism spectrum disorders and the possible contribution of pesticide usage in China 1990-2030. Front Public Health 2022; 10:945172. [PMID: 36187693 PMCID: PMC9525129 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.945172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are prevalent in children and adolescents and disproportionately affect males, and the main contributing factors underlying male vulnerability remain widely unknown. Pesticide use is widely reported to be associated with ASD risk, and the cases of pesticide poisoning incidence in rural areas are remarkably higher than those in the urban areas while the prevalence of ASDs in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas and the rate of male pesticide poisoning was significantly higher than female. Thus, pesticide usage may be an important contributing factor for causing sex-specific differences of ASD incidence. ASD burden was analyzed by using the data of ASD number, ASD rate (ASD cases per 100,000 persons) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2019. The changes from 1990 to 2030 were predicted using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) in time series forecasting based on the small values of Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion. Finally, the relationship between ASD rate and pesticide usage risk index (PURI) was analyzed via Pearson's correlation coefficient. ASD number, ASD rate and DALYs will be reduced by 45.5% ± 8.2% (t = 9.100 and p = 0.0119), 56.6% ± 10.2% (t = 9.111 and p = 0.0118), and 44.9% ± 7.0% (t = 20.90 and p = 0.0023) from 1990 to 2030 in China. PURI has a strong relationship with ASD rate (rho = 0.953 to 0.988 and p < 0.0001). Pesticide poisoning incidence in males is up to 2-fold higher than that in females. ASD number and DALYs in males are 4-fold higher than those in females. Furthermore, there is growing evidence supporting that males are more susceptible than females to pesticides with sex differences in neurotoxicogenetics. Therefore, pesticide poisoning may be a contributing factor for causing the sex differences of ASD. Much work still needs to be done to confirm that.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Hai
- International Education College, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China,*Correspondence: Yang Hai
| | - Guodong Leng
- College of Business Administration, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
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Matin BK, Byford S, Soltani S, Kazemi-Karyani A, Atafar Z, Zereshki E, Soofi M, Rezaei S, Rakhshan ST, Jahangiri P. Contributing factors to healthcare costs in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:604. [PMID: 35524328 PMCID: PMC9074281 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-07932-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to use healthcare than their counterparts without disabilities, which imposes high medical costs to families and health systems. This study aimed to investigate healthcare costs and its determinants among individuals with ASD. METHODS In this systematic review, we searched online databases (Web of Science, Medline through PubMed and Scopus) for observational and experimental studies that included data on service use and costs associated with ASD and published between January 2000 and May 2021. Exclusion criteria included non-English language articles, duplicates, abstracts, qualitative studies, gray literature, and non-original papers (e.g., letters to editors, editorials, reviews, etc.). RESULTS Our searches yielded 4015 articles screened according to PRISMA guidelines. Of 4015 studies identified, 37 articles from 10 countries were eligible for final inclusion. Therapeutic interventions, outpatient visits and medications constituted the largest proportion of direct medical expenditure on individuals with ASD. Included studies suggest lack of health insurance, having associated morbidities, more severe symptoms, younger age groups and lower socioeconomic status (SES) are associated with higher medical expenditure in individuals with ASD. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review identified a range of factors, including lower SES and lack of health insurance, which are associated with higher healthcare costs in people with ASD. Our study supports the formulation of policy options to reduce financial risks in families of individuals with ASD in countries which do not have a tax-based or universal health coverage system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Karami Matin
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | | | - Shahin Soltani
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Ali Kazemi-Karyani
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Zahra Atafar
- Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Ehsan Zereshki
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Moslem Soofi
- Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Satar Rezaei
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Shiva Tolouei Rakhshan
- Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Parvin Jahangiri
- Behavioral Disease Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
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Gilmore D, Longo A, Krantz M, Radford D, Hand BN. Five Ways Providers Can Improve Mental Healthcare for Autistic Adults: A Review of Mental Healthcare Use, Barriers to Care, and Evidence-Based Recommendations. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2022; 24:565-571. [PMID: 35969335 PMCID: PMC9376572 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-022-01362-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW We reviewed the literature from 2017 to 2022 on autistic adults' use of mental healthcare and barriers to care. To encourage immediate improvement in mental healthcare, we provide five strategies mental health providers can use to better care for autistic adults. RECENT FINDINGS Most autistic adults use mental healthcare and use it more often than non-autistic adults. Autistic adults' experiences with mental healthcare are characterized by (1) lack of providers knowledgeable about autism, (2) use of treatments that may not be accommodating to individual needs, and (3) difficulty navigating the complex healthcare system. These barriers contribute to prevalent unmet needs for mental healthcare. Autistic adults use mental healthcare frequently but have unmet mental health needs. As necessary systemic changes develop, providers can begin immediately to better care for autistic adults by learning about their needs and taking personalized care approaches to meet those needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gilmore
- The Ohio State University, 228E Atwell Hall, 453 W 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Anne Longo
- The Ohio State University, 228E Atwell Hall, 453 W 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Morgan Krantz
- The Ohio State University, 228E Atwell Hall, 453 W 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Deondray Radford
- The Ohio State University, 228E Atwell Hall, 453 W 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 USA
| | - Brittany N. Hand
- The Ohio State University, 228E Atwell Hall, 453 W 10th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210 USA
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Ryan JM, Lavelle G, Theis N, Kilbride C, Noorkoiv M. Patterns of Health Service Use Among Young People With Cerebral Palsy in England. Front Neurol 2021; 12:659031. [PMID: 34054701 PMCID: PMC8153484 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.659031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Although the provision of healthcare for people with cerebral palsy (CP) is typically focussed on childhood, many people with CP require access to services periodically throughout their life. Few studies have examined patterns of health service use among young people with CP in England. Understanding patterns of use may inform future service development. Objective: To describe patterns of visits to rehabilitation and medical professionals among ambulatory young people with CP living in England, and identify factors associated with service use. Methods: Sixty-two young people with CP aged 10–19 years [mean (SD) age 13.7 (2.5) years] in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III reported visits to a range of health professionals, hospital admissions and visits to the emergency department over a median duration of 34 weeks (min–max: 12–34 weeks). Negative binomial models were used to examine factors associated with number of visits. Results: Physiotherapists were the most commonly used professional, with 67.7% of participants visiting a physiotherapist at least once, followed by dentists (66.1%), general practitioners (48.4%), occupational therapists (40.3%) and orthopaedic surgeons (40.3%). Physiotherapists were also the most frequently visited professional with a total of 473 visits (13.3 visits per person-year). Speech and language therapists (5.0 visits per person-year), occupational therapists (4.5 visits per person-year) and nurses (4.3 per person-year) were the next most frequently visited professionals. Age, GMFCS level, and speech impairment were associated with rate of visits to a physiotherapist. Conclusions: The proportion of young people who visited medical and rehabilitation professionals during the study period varied considerably depending on the profession. Generally, the proportion of young people using services was low. In the context of limited resources, data on service use in combination with data on unmet need, may support the reorganisation of services to maximise benefits to young people with CP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Ryan
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.,College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Grace Lavelle
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Theis
- School of Sport and Exercise, University of Gloucestershire, Gloucester, United Kingdom
| | - Cherry Kilbride
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marika Noorkoiv
- College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom
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