How should we support young people with ASD and mental health problems as they navigate the transition to adult life including access to adult healthcare services.

How should we support young people with ASD and mental health problems as they navigate the transition to adult life including access to adult healthcare services. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci. 2020 Jan 09;29:e90 Authors: King C, Merrick H, Le Couteur A Abstract For young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the transition from childhood to adulthood especially for those with additional mental health problems can be challenging. Increasing numbers of young people attending child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) have a recognised diagnosis of ASD. What are the outcomes of these young people when they are discharged from CAMHS and how best can services support their needs? In this editorial we consider the emerging literature on transition for young people with long-term conditions and in particular those with ASD. Longer term studies suggest that the outcomes for individuals with ASD across the ability range is mostly poor and that healthcare transfer has generally not been managed well, with service users often reporting a lack of appropriate types of support. Encouragingly there is an increasing awareness of the need to support young people with long-term conditions as they negotiate the many developmental tasks of transition to adulthood. However, less is known about the experiences and aspirations of autistic individuals of all abilities as they transition to adulthood. This knowledge can inform a more nuanced appro...
Source: Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci Source Type: research