Characterizing psychiatric comorbidity in children with autism spectrum disorder receiving publicly funded mental health services

• Main Authors: Baker-Ericzén, M. (Author), Brookman-Frazee, L. (Author), Chlebowski, C. (Author), Ganger, W. (Author), Stadnick, N. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications Ltd 2018
• Subjects: adolescent; Adolescent; anxiety; anxiety disorder; Anxiety Disorders; Article; assessment of humans; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; attention deficit disorder; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; autism; Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; autism spectrum disorder; Autism Spectrum Disorder; California; caregiver; challenging behaviors; child; Child; Child, Preschool; children’s mental health services; clinical assessment; cognition; cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; comorbidity; Comorbidity; Differential Ability Scale; education; Education, Special; Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory; female; Female; financial management; Financing, Government; health program; human; Humans; Logistic Models; major clinical study; male; Male; medicaid; Medicaid; mental health service; Mental Health Services; mini international neuropsychiatric interview; mood disorder; Mood Disorders; oppositional defiant disorder; preschool child; prevalence; Prevalence; priority journal; problem behavior; Problem Behavior; psychiatry; psychology; school child; school health service; School Health Services; scoring system; Social Responsiveness Scale; statistical model; United States; Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 Publicly funded mental health programs play a significant role in serving children with autism spectrum disorder. Understanding patterns of psychiatric comorbidity for this population within mental health settings is important to implement appropriately tailored interventions. This study (1) describes patterns of psychiatric comorbidity in children with autism spectrum disorder who present to mental health services with challenging behaviors and (2) identifies child characteristics associated with comorbid conditions. Data are drawn from baseline assessments from 201 children with autism spectrum disorder who participated in a community effectiveness trial across 29 publicly funded mental health programs. Non-autism spectrum disorder diagnoses were assessed using an adapted Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, parent version. Approximately 92% of children met criteria for at least one non-autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (78% attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, 58% oppositional defiant disorder, 56% anxiety, 30% mood). Logistic regression indicated that child gender and clinical characteristics were differentially associated with meeting criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, an anxiety, or a mood disorder. Exploratory analyses supported a link between challenging behaviors and mood disorder symptoms and revealed high prevalence of these symptoms in this autism spectrum disorder population. Findings provide direction for tailoring intervention to address a broad range of clinical issues for youth with autism spectrum disorder served in mental health settings. © The Author(s) 2017.