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Perceived child impairment and the 'autism epidemic'
Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Center for Ethics, Law and Mental health (CELAM), Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-6851-3297
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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2022 (English)In: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, ISSN 0021-9630, E-ISSN 1469-7610, Vol. 63, no 5, p. 591-598Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has increased substantially across the world. Much - or even most - prevalence increase seems to reflect changes in diagnostic practice and ascertainment. A key part of ASD assessment is to document that the relevant symptoms are associated with clinical impairment. The aim of the present study is to capitalize on a nationwide longitudinal study spanning 15 consecutive birth year cohorts in order to investigate whether there has been a secular change in how parents perceive the impairment and suffering conferred by autism symptomatology in their children.

METHODS: Data came from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (27,240 individuals), where parents had reported on their child's ASD symptoms and impairment. Impairment due to ASD symptoms was regressed on an ASD symptom score across time. This was done for five 3-year birth cohorts (1995-1997, 1998-2000, 2001-2003, 2004-2006, and 2007-2009).

RESULTS: Reported impairment increased with consecutively later birth cohorts. This was evident across all levels of autism symptomatology. At clinically relevant levels of symptomatology, parents of those born 2007-2009 reported a 23% higher degree of impairment as compared with parents of those born in 1995-1997. The relative difference, however, was even greater at levels that previously would have been considered below the diagnostic threshold.

DISCUSSION: The results presented here contribute to the notion of a growing diffuseness in the conceptualization of the ASD diagnosis by adding the element of secular changes in the parental perception of the consequences of ASD symptom expression.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Inc., 2022. Vol. 63, no 5, p. 591-598
Keywords [en]
Autism, autism spectrum disorder, epidemiology, prevalence
National Category
Psychiatry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-96862DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13497ISI: 000682451600001PubMedID: 34363395Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85112611306OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-96862DiVA, id: diva2:1633145
Available from: 2022-01-28 Created: 2022-01-28 Last updated: 2023-08-28Bibliographically approved

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