Improving Substance-Use Services for Autistic Adults: Insights and Recommendations from Autistic Adults

Munday, K., Papadopoulos, C., Adkin, T., & Gray-Hammond, D. (2025). Improving Substance-Use Services for Autistic Adults: Insights and Recommendations from Autistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2024.0213

Publication date: 2 Apr 2025 Added to AutiHub: 22 Aug 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
4
Publication authors identified as autistic
2 / 4 (50.0%)

Abstract

Purpose:We aimed to explore autistic substance users’ experiences and their recommendations for improving substance-use services. Methods:We conducted an online cross-sectional questionnaire survey with autistic adults, either self-identifying or formally diagnosed, who reported past or current substance use. We applied reflexive thematic analysis to identify differences and similarities across their diverse narratives. Results:A total of 475 participants completed the questionnaire. Participants shared varied experiences with substance-use services, but three key themes emerged as follows: challenges with service accessibility, gaps in providers’ knowledge about autism, and the need for harm reduction practices tailored to autistic individuals. Participants provided numerous recommendations to enhance the accessibility and appropriateness of these services, emphasizing the value of personalized, inclusive, and neuro-affirming care. Conclusion:Participants recommended that substance-use services improve accessibility by incorporating autistic-led training and adopting trauma-informed, harm-reduction approaches focused on personalized care. We suggest that future research include more in-depth interviews to cocreate resources for both substance-use service professionals and autistic individuals who engage with these services.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 22 Aug 2026 23:50.

Cited references
61
With a DOI
56
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
5
7 / 61 (11.5%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
2 / 61 (3.3%)
References with detected author names
61 / 61 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
2
Without a stable identifier
4
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
236
From DOI or external metadata
236
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
92 / 236 (39.0%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 144 / 236 (61.0%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
18 / 236 (7.6%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 18 / 92 (19.6%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 16 / 219 (7.3%).
  1. Anne M. Fletcher (2013). Inside Rehab: The Surprising Truth About Addiction Treatment–and How to Get Help That Works .
    Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W598357702
    Crossref OpenAlex
  2. Helandri Haasbroek , Neo Morojele (2022). A Systematic Literature Review on the Relationship Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Substance Use Among Adults and Adolescents . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9(1), 1-20. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  3. James McKowen , Amy Berger , Joshua Towbin , Amy M. Yule , Diana Woodward , Lisa Nowinski et al. (2023). A Manualized Behavioral Therapy Intervention for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Substance Use Disorder . Case Reports in Psychiatry, 2023, 1-9. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Thomas Clarke , Anna Tickle , Alinda Gillott (2016). Substance use disorder in Asperger syndrome: An investigation into the development and maintenance of substance use disorder by individuals with a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome . International Journal of Drug Policy, 27, 154-163. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  5. Jing-Syuan Huang , Fu-Chi Yang , Wu-Chien Chien , Ta-Chuan Yeh , Chi-Hsiang Chung , Chia-Kuang Tsai et al. (2021). Risk of Substance Use Disorder and Its Associations With Comorbidities and Psychotropic Agents in Patients With Autism . JAMA Pediatrics, 175(2), e205371. American Medical Association (AMA).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  6. González Moreno, Andrés Santiago (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . American Psychiatric Association.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. Linda M. Kronenberg , Peter J. J. Goossens , Derk M. van Etten , Theo van Achterberg , Wim van den Brink (2015). Need for Care and Life Satisfaction in Adult Substance Use Disorder Patients With and Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) . Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 51(1), 4-15. Hindawi Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Anne Longo , Deondray Radford , Brittany N. Hand (2024). A US national update of health condition prevalence among privately-insured autistic adults . Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research, 13(3), e230051-e230051. Becaris Publishing Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. Sarah Griffiths , Carrie Allison , Rebecca Kenny , Rosemary Holt , Paula Smith , Simon Baron-Cohen (2019). The Vulnerability Experiences Quotient (VEQ): A Study of Vulnerability, Mental Health and Life Satisfaction in Autistic Adults . Autism Research, 12(10), 1516-1528. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.2162 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2949176131
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  10. Laurence Lalanne , Luisa Weiner , Benoit Trojak , Fabrice Berna , Gilles Bertschy (2015). Substance-use disorder in high-functioning autism: clinical and neurocognitive insights from two case reports . BMC Psychiatry, 15(1), 149. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  11. Ola Ståhlberg , Henrik Anckarsäter , Thomas Nilsson (2010). Mental health problems in youths committed to juvenile institutions: prevalences and treatment needs . European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 19(12), 893-903. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. Bethany Rigles (2017). The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Events, Resiliency and Health Among Children with Autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(1), 187-202. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’ . Disability & Society, 27(6), 883-887. Informa UK Limited.
    AutiHub · Autistic Scholars Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  14. Morsi W. Abdallah , Kirstin Greaves-Lord , Jakob Grove , Bent Nørgaard-Pedersen , David M. Hougaard , Erik L. Mortensen (2011). Psychiatric comorbidities in autism spectrum disorders: findings from a Danish Historic Birth Cohort . European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 20(11-12), 599-601. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. David S. Mandell , Lindsay J Lawer , Kira Branch , Edward S. Brodkin , Kristin Healey , Robert Witalec et al. (2012). Prevalence and correlates of autism in a state psychiatric hospital . Autism, 16(6), 557-567. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. Pnina Shinebourne , Jonathan A. Smith (2009). Alcohol and the self: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experience of addiction and its impact on the sense of self and identity . Addiction Research & Theory, 17(2), 152-167. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Agnieszka Butwicka , Niklas Långström , Henrik Larsson , Sebastian Lundström , Eva Serlachius , Catarina Almqvist et al. (2017). Increased Risk for Substance Use-Related Problems in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Population-Based Cohort Study . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(1), 80-89. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. Bram Sizoo , Wim van den Brink , Marielle Gorissen van Eenige , Rutger Jan van der Gaag (2009). Personality Characteristics of Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder With and Without Substance Use Disorders . Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 197(6), 450-454. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology . Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. Madelaine Ressel , Brittni Thompson , Marie-Hélène Poulin , Claude L. Normand , Marissa H Fisher , Germain Couture et al. (2020). Systematic review of risk and protective factors associated with substance use and abuse in individuals with autism spectrum disorders . Autism, 24(4), 899-918. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  21. Edward J. Khantzian (1997). The Self-Medication Hypothesis of Substance Use Disorders: A Reconsideration and Recent Applications . Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 4(5), 231-244. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  22. Espen Ajo Arnevik , Sissel Berge Helverschou (2016). Autism Spectrum Disorder and Co-occurring Substance Use Disorder – A Systematic Review . Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 10, 69-75. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. Jason Nolan , Melanie McBride (2015). Embodied Semiosis: Autistic ‘Stimming’ as Sensory Praxis . In International Handbook of Semiotics (pp. 1069-1078). Springer Netherlands.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. Sharon JN Walhout , Johan van Zanten , Laura DeFuentes-Merillas , Christina KME Sonneborn , Marc Bosma (2022). Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Co-occurring Substance Use Disorder: A Clinical Intervention Study . Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 16, 11782218221085599-11782218221085599. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  25. Hanne De Jaegher (2013). Embodiment and sense-making in autism . Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience, 7, 15. Frontiers Media SA.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  26. Elizabeth M Weir , Carrie Allison , Simon Baron-Cohen (2021). Understanding the substance use of autistic adolescents and adults: a mixed-methods approach . The Lancet Psychiatry, 8(8), 673-685. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. William Foster Owen (1984). Interpretive themes in relational communication . Quarterly Journal of Speech, 70(3), 274-287. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Sarah J. Tracy (2010). Qualitative Quality: Eight “Big-Tent” Criteria for Excellent Qualitative Research . Qualitative Inquiry, 16(10), 837-851. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. Lucy A Livingston , Emma Colvert , the Social Relationships Study Team , Patrick Bolton , Francesca Happé (2019). Good social skills despite poor theory of mind: exploring compensation in autism spectrum disorder . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 60(1), 102-110. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  30. Duneesha De Alwis , Arpana Agrawal , Angela M Reiersen , John N Constantino , Anjali Henders , Nicholas G Martin et al. (2014). ADHD Symptoms, Autistic Traits, and Substance Use and Misuse in Adult Australian Twins . Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 75(2), 211-221. Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc..
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  31. Susanna Baldwin , Debra Costley (2016). The experiences and needs of female adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder . Autism, 20(4), 483-495. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  32. Rosalind Watts , Stuart Linke , Elizabeth Murray , Chris Barker (2015). Calling the shots: Young professional women's relationship with alcohol . Feminism & Psychology, 25(2), 219-234. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  33. Laura Hull , K. V. Petrides , Carrie Allison , Paula Smith , Simon Baron-Cohen , Meng-Chuan Lai et al. (2017). “Putting on My Best Normal”: Social Camouflaging in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(8), 2519-2534. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  34. Desiree R. Jones , Kilee M. DeBrabander , Noah J. Sasson (2021). Effects of autism acceptance training on explicit and implicit biases toward autism . Autism, 25(5), 1246-1261. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  35. Linda M Kronenberg , Karin Slager-Visscher , Peter JJ Goossens , Wim van den Brink , Theo van Achterberg (2014). Everyday life consequences of substance use in adult patients with a substance use disorder (SUD) and co-occurring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a patient’s perspective . BMC Psychiatry, 14(1), 264-264. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  36. Meng-Chuan Lai , Simon Baron-Cohen (2015). Identifying the lost generation of adults with autism spectrum conditions . The Lancet Psychiatry, 2(11), 1013-1027. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  37. Eilidh Cage , Jessica Di Monaco , Victoria Newell (2018). Experiences of Autism Acceptance and Mental Health in Autistic Adults . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(2), 473-484. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  38. Sarah Cassidy , Ashley Robertson , Ellen Townsend , Rory C. O’Connor , Jacqui Rodgers (2020). Advancing Our Understanding of Self-harm, Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours in Autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(10), 3445-3449. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  39. Nicole Stuart , Andrew Whitehouse , Romina Palermo , Ellen Bothe , Nicholas Badcock (2023). Eye Gaze in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of Neural Evidence for the Eye Avoidance Hypothesis . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53(5), 1884-1905. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  40. Szilvia Kassai (2020). Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to Assess Recovery Processes: A Qualitative Analysis of Experience and Identity . L’Harmattan Kiadó, ELTE Pedagógiai és Pszichológiai Kar.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  41. Jonathan A. Smith , Mike Osborn (2015). Interpretative phenomenological analysis as a useful methodology for research on the lived experience of pain . British Journal of Pain, 9(1), 41-42. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  42. Janet Zwick , Hannah Appleseth , Stephan Arndt (2020). Stigma: how it affects the substance use disorder patient . Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 15(1), 50-50. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  43. Gray-Hammond D (2023). Unusual Medicine: Essays on Autistic Identity and Drug Addiction . Unusual Medicine: Essays on Autistic Identity and Drug Addiction.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  44. Victoria Clarke , Virginia Braun (2014). Thematic Analysis . In Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology (pp. 1947-1952). Springer New York.
    OpenCitations
  45. David Mason , Barry Ingham , Heather Birtles , Cos Michael , Clare Scarlett , Ian A. James et al. (2021). How to improve healthcare for autistic people: A qualitative study of the views of autistic people and clinicians . Autism, 25(3), 774-785. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  46. Sissel Berge Helverschou , Anette Ræder Brunvold , Espen Ajo Arnevik (2019). Treating Patients With Co-occurring Autism Spectrum Disorder and Substance Use Disorder: A Clinical Explorative Study . Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, 13, 1178221819843291-1178221819843291. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  47. Walker N (2021). Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities . Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  48. Nick Walker *Autistic author. Learn more… , Dora M Raymaker *Autistic author. Learn more… (2021). Toward a Neuroqueer Future: An Interview with Nick Walker . Autism in Adulthood, 3(1), 5-10. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  49. Yvonne Skipper , Debra J Pepler (2021). Knowledge mobilization: Stepping into interdependent and relational space using co-creation . Action Research, 19(3), 588-605. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  50. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2022). Thematic Analysis . In Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (pp. 1-7). Springer International Publishing.
    Crossref OpenAlex
  51. Kristen Gillespie-Lynch , Jennifer B Bisson , Sabine Saade , Rita Obeid , Bella Kofner , Ashley Johnson Harrison et al. (2022). If you want to develop an effective autism training, ask autistic students to help you . Autism, 26(5), 1082-1094. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  52. Smith JA (2021). B44 Method and Research, 1.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  53. Kana Grace , Anna Remington , Brynmor Lloyd‐Evans , Jade Davies , Laura Crane (2022). Loneliness in autistic adults: A systematic review . Autism, 26(8), 2117-2135. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  54. Kristina Bakke Åkerblom , Ottar Ness (2023). Peer Workers in Co-production and Co-creation in Mental Health and Substance Use Services: A Scoping Review . Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 50(2), 296-316. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  55. Daniel Glenn (2022). Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities . World Futures, 78(5), 339-341. Informa UK Limited.
    OpenAlex
  56. Salimi Y (2012). B58 Int J Prev Med, 3(6), 386.
    Type: Other
    Crossref