New research shows the proportion of adults with autism or psychotic disorders remains stable

Results from the latest part of a national survey on mental health reveal the proportion of adults with autism and psychotic disorders in England has not risen since data was first collected in 2007. 

The survey is the fifth in a series, led by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), in collaboration with the University of Leicester and City St George's, University of London.

The Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS), published by NHS England, provides official statistics on trends over time in autism, psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, drug and alcohol dependence, and the first estimate of the prevalence of eating disorder in England to be based on clinical examination.

Findings from the survey aim to shape and improve national planning for health and support services.

Professor Terry Brugha, from the University of Leicester’s Population Health Sciences department is jointly leading the survey with (NatCen).

He said: “The survey shows that one in 100 adults are autistic, similar to findings from previous Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Surveys in 2007 and 2014. 

“Most autistic adults are male, and living in more deprived neighbourhoods is associated with being autistic. The autistic adults identified in our survey were no more likely to use health services for a mental health reason or receive mental health treatment than non-autistic adults. This suggests that important differences may exist between research-identified autistic people and those with a clinical diagnosis of autism.” 

The APMS is the only survey programme of its kind which aims to gather vital data related to an entire country.

It is looking at health issues including disability, physical health, pain, lifestyle and life events, to determine how they affect a person’s overall mental health. 

The University of Leicester’s work on the survey is funded using £1.3 million from the Department for Health and Social Care. 

Dr Zoe Morgan, Research Psychologist at the University of Leicester’s Department of Population Health Sciences, said: “Our results show that psychotic disorder is a rare condition, affecting less than one in a 100 adults. 

“Previous surveys in 2007 and 2014 reported a similar prevalence for psychotic disorder. Psychotic disorder is associated with deprivation, having a limiting physical health condition, and having a common mental health condition. Also, most people identified as having a psychotic disorder did not think they had the condition. 

“Our findings help us better understand the features of adults with psychotic disorder, and design services to best support these patients who have a high level of clinical need.”

More than 7,000 adults across England were interviewed about their mental health for the latest survey. As part of this, The University of Leicester research team completed interviews and examinations of over 900 people to examine more complex conditions, including eating disorders.

Dr Samuel Tromans, Associate Professor at the University of Leicester’s Department of Population Health Sciences, added: “We found that one in 40 young adults (aged 16-24 years) had an eating disorder in the past year, and around 1 in 75 adults more generally (aged 16 years or above). 

“Other factors associated with having an eating disorder in the past year included female gender, unemployment, having a limiting physical health condition, and having a common mental health condition, such as depression or anxiety. 

“These findings help inform policy and research allocation for this group and the direction of research relating to eating disorders.

“We would like to extend our thanks to all of the interviewers at the National Centre for Social Research and the University of Leicester, as well as all the adults who kindly agreed to take part in this important work.”

Results of the full survey are available to view here