Mental health articles

People with autism have high levels of anxiety and mood disturbance, disruptive
and self-absorbed behaviour aswell as communication disturbance
and social relating problems.

Anti-social behaviour
Deliberate anti-social behaviours (e.g. lying, stealing, and lighting fires)
are unlikely to occur because they require social knowledge and skills that
are beyond most individuals with autism. However, behaviour seen by
others as anti-social may occur. For example, one young man regularly set
fire to the hay shed on the family farmbecause he enjoyed the sight, sound
and smell of the flames, not because hewanted to cause harmor distress.Disruptive behaviour
Disruptive behaviours can lead to problems where the person lives, or if
they go to a day centre. Tantrums, noisiness, impatience, aggression,
self-injury and stubbornness can all be problematic.
Anxiety
People with autism often have high levels of anxiety. The symptoms of
anxious behaviour include:

Fear of separation from familiar people

Specific fears or phobias (e.g. certain sounds, smells, objects,
animals)

Resistance to change (e.g. new clothes, food, routines)

Panic and emotional distress for little or no apparent reason

Tension

Shyness

Irritability
These symptoms of anxiety, apart from the distress they cause the individual,
have the potential to disrupt education, and create management
problems and stress for the parents and carers.
If the anxiety can be clearly identified then there is an opportunity for
an intervention to be used to help manage it. Attention must be paid to
organizing a predictable environment for the person, which can help to
reduce anxiety and stress. Psychological treatments, particularly cognitive
and behavioural approaches, are effective treatments. These might need to
be modified if the individual cannot communicate with language. Antidepressants may also reduce anxiety.

Depression
Those with autism are at increased risk of suffering from depression. They
can be irritable, have sleep and appetite problems (inducing weight loss),
obsessional thoughts and preoccupations, compulsive behaviours, and thoughts of suicide. These problems can hinder education and adjustment,
and interfere with the quality of life.
Depression can be treated with cognitive therapy, relaxation training
and rewarding experiences. These are described in Chapter 4 on therapeutic
interventions, and are usually modified according to the ability of the
individual.
Antidepressant medication may be necessary if the depression is severe
or persistent.

Tags: autism