Source: Spectrum
Written by: Hannah Furfaro
Depression is more than three times as common among adults with autism as it is in the general population, according to new work1. And those with average or above intelligence are more likely to be depressed than those with low intellectual ability.
The study found that about 20 percent of autistic people have a diagnosis of depression, compared with 6 percent of the general population.
The findings are based on data from a large Swedish cohort, but they are likely to apply more broadly. A large 2015 study in the United States likewise reported that 26 percent of people with autism have a depression diagnosis, compared with 10 percent in the general population2. A smaller study that same year estimated that 43 percent of autistic people have depression3. Click here to read the rest of the story
