Personality Disorder Diagnoses in UK Autistic People: Evidence from a Matched Cohort Study
Saved in:
| Title: | Personality Disorder Diagnoses in UK Autistic People: Evidence from a Matched Cohort Study |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Elizabeth O'Nions, Jude Brown, Joshua E. J. Buckman, Rebecca Charlton (ORCID |
| Source: | Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice. 2026 30(4):901-913. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 13 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Personality Problems, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Adults, Gender Differences, Intellectual Disability, Comorbidity, Clinical Diagnosis |
| Geographic Terms: | United Kingdom |
| DOI: | 10.1177/13623613251414911 |
| ISSN: | 1362-3613 1461-7005 |
| Abstract: | Clinical accounts and cohort studies suggest that Autistic people are disproportionately likely to be diagnosed with personality disorder. We conducted a cohort study of adults diagnosed Autistic drawn from the IQVIA Medical Research Database, with follow-up from 1 January 2000 to 16 January 2019. We included a comparison group without diagnosed autism, matched (1:10) by age, sex and primary care practice. We included 22,112 Autistic adults, of whom 6437 (29.1%) had a diagnosis of intellectual disability. Median age was 20.36 (interquartile range: 18.0-28.5), and 16,881 (76.3%) were men. The rate of new personality disorder diagnosis in Autistic people without intellectual disability was 4.8 (3.5-6.7) times higher for Autistic versus comparison men, and 4.6 (3.1-6.8) times higher for Autistic versus comparison women. For Autistic participants with intellectual disability, the rate was 2.0 (1.0-3.7) times higher for Autistic versus comparison men and 8.3 (4.0-17.2) times higher for Autistic versus comparison women. The estimated rate of new personality disorder diagnosis for Autistic people aged 20 increased from 14.67 (95% confidence interval: 10.4-20.8) per 10,000 person-years in 2009 to 22.43 (95% confidence interval: 13.9-36.3) in 2019. The findings indicate that personality disorder diagnoses are more common in Autistic people and increased overall in women from 2000 to 2019. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1501068 |
| Database: | ERIC |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Clinical accounts and cohort studies suggest that Autistic people are disproportionately likely to be diagnosed with personality disorder. We conducted a cohort study of adults diagnosed Autistic drawn from the IQVIA Medical Research Database, with follow-up from 1 January 2000 to 16 January 2019. We included a comparison group without diagnosed autism, matched (1:10) by age, sex and primary care practice. We included 22,112 Autistic adults, of whom 6437 (29.1%) had a diagnosis of intellectual disability. Median age was 20.36 (interquartile range: 18.0-28.5), and 16,881 (76.3%) were men. The rate of new personality disorder diagnosis in Autistic people without intellectual disability was 4.8 (3.5-6.7) times higher for Autistic versus comparison men, and 4.6 (3.1-6.8) times higher for Autistic versus comparison women. For Autistic participants with intellectual disability, the rate was 2.0 (1.0-3.7) times higher for Autistic versus comparison men and 8.3 (4.0-17.2) times higher for Autistic versus comparison women. The estimated rate of new personality disorder diagnosis for Autistic people aged 20 increased from 14.67 (95% confidence interval: 10.4-20.8) per 10,000 person-years in 2009 to 22.43 (95% confidence interval: 13.9-36.3) in 2019. The findings indicate that personality disorder diagnoses are more common in Autistic people and increased overall in women from 2000 to 2019. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1362-3613 1461-7005 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/13623613251414911 |
