Autistic People More Likely To Face Depression, Anxiety During Pregnancy, Reckons Study

Autistic people are likely to be more vulnerable to anxiety and depression during their pregnancy. As per a report by researchers from the Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, autistic people are more vulnerable to mental health issues during pregnancy, which makes it very crucial for them to have proper mental health screening during pregnancy and post-pregnancy.

The findings are based on the survey of 524 samples of non-autistic and 417 autistic people. The researchers asked the participants about their experiences during pregnancy.

The statistics showed that autistic parents have nearly three times more chances of experiencing prenatal depression, (9 per cent of non-autistic and 24 per cent of autistic) and anxiety (14 per cent of non-autistic and 48 per cent of autistic) than non-autistic parents.

Moreover, Autistic respondents tend to experience low satisfaction with health care during pregnancy. As such, people do not trust professionals because, according to them, professionals do not take their questions and concerns seriously. They feel they are not being treated respectfully and are unsatisfied with the information provided.

Along with these, Autistic respondents experienced various sensory issues during pregnancy and were more likely to feel overwrought by the sensory surroundings during their prenatal appointments.

The Deputy Director of the Autism Research Centre and a team member, Dr Carrie Allison, shared, “We are grateful to members of the autistic community for providing feedback when we designed this research. It is vital that autistic people with lived experience help shape the research we do, and we keep their priorities as a clear focus.”

Dr Rosie Holt, a research team member, suggested that Autistic respondents are more likely to benefit from prenatal healthcare accommodations. This further includes the adjustments to the sensory surroundings and how information is communicated during prenatal appointments.

The findings could be helpful to medical support and doctors dealing with individuals with autism.

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