‘Something needs to change’: Mental health experiences of young autistic adults in England

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Crane, L., Adams, F., Harper, G., Welch, J., & Pellicano, E. (2018). ‘Something needs to change’: Mental health experiences of young autistic adults in England. Autism, 23(2), 477-493. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361318757048

Publication date: 7 Feb 2018 Added to AutiHub: 14 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
5
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 5 (20.0%)

Abstract

There is a high incidence and prevalence of mental health problems among young people, with several barriers to help-seeking noted in this group. High rates of mental health problems have also been reported in children and adults on the autism spectrum. Taken together, young autistic people may be a particularly vulnerable group when it comes to mental health. Yet, there has been remarkably little work on the mental health needs and experiences of young autistic adults (16–25 years). Adopting a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach – in which academic researchers and young autistic adults collaborated in an equitable research partnership – we explored young autistic people’s experiences of mental health problems and their perspectives on the support they sought, if any, for these problems. A total of 130 young autistic adults took part in the research: 109 completed an online survey and 21 took part in detailed interviews. The results highlight how young autistic people find it difficult to evaluate their mental health, experience high levels of stigma and often face severe obstacles when trying to access mental health support. The findings also demonstrate how listening to – and learning from – young autistic people is crucial in ensuring that their mental health needs are met.

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: 14 Sep 2026 18:08.

Cited references
75
With a DOI
65
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
10
6 / 75 (8.0%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
6 / 75 (8.0%)
References with detected author names
72 / 75 (96.0%)
Without detected author names
3
Without a structured title
5
Without a stable identifier
9
References with raw author names still to review
2
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
276
From DOI or external metadata
276
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
4
97 / 276 (35.1%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 179 / 276 (64.9%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
17 / 276 (6.2%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 17 / 97 (17.5%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 7 / 223 (3.1%).
  1. Julie Taylor (2009). The Transition Out of High School and into Adulthood for Individuals with Autism and for Their Families . In International Review of Research in Mental Retardation (pp. 1-32). Elsevier.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  2. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2008). National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing: Summary of Results . PsycEXTRA Dataset. American Psychological Association (APA).
    Crossref OpenAlex
  3. Lydia Jones , Lorna Goddard , Elisabeth L. Hill , Lucy A. Henry , Laura Crane (2014). Experiences of Receiving a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Survey of Adults in the United Kingdom . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(12), 3033-3044. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnership Directorate, London, UK , Care Partnership Directorate (2014). Closing the Gap: Priorities for Essential Change in Mental Health . PsycEXTRA Dataset. American Psychological Association (APA).
    Crossref OpenAlex
  5. Autistica (2016). Top 10 Research Priorities . Top 10 Research Priorities.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  6. Marisa H Fisher , Julie Taylor (2016). Let’s talk about it: Peer victimization experiences as reported by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder . Autism, 20(4), 402-411. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. Anthony F Jorm , Ailsa E Korten , Patricia A Jacomb , Helen Christensen , Bryan Rodgers , Penelope Pollitt (1997). “Mental health literacy”: a survey of the public's ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment . Medical Journal of Australia, 166(4), 182-186. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Geoff J. Bathje , John B. Pryor (2011). The Relationships of Public and Self-Stigma to Seeking Mental Health Services . Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 33(2), 161-176. American Mental Health Counselors Association.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. David Goldberg , Paul Williams (1988). A User’s Guide to the General Health Questionnaire .
    Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1596333373
    Crossref OpenAlex
  10. Sylvie Berthoz , Christophe Lalanne , Laura Crane , Elisabeth L. Hill (2013). Investigating emotional impairments in adults with autism spectrum disorders and the broader autism phenotype . Psychiatry Research, 208(3), 257-264. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  11. Frank C. Verhulst (1997). The Prevalence of DSM-III-R Diagnoses in a National Sample of Dutch Adolescents . Archives of General Psychiatry, 54(4), 329. American Medical Association (AMA).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. Elizabeth E. Biggs , Erik W. Carter (2016). Quality of Life for Transition-Age Youth with Autism or Intellectual Disability . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(1), 190-204. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. Lucy Biddle , Jenny Donovan , Debbie Sharp , David Gunnell (2007). Explaining non‐help‐seeking amongst young adults with mental distress: a dynamic interpretive model of illness behaviour . Sociology of Health & Illness, 29(7), 983-1002. Wiley.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  14. Henrik D Zachrisson , Kjetil Rödje , Arnstein Mykletun (2006). Utilization of health services in relation to mental health problems in adolescents: A population based survey . BMC Public Health, 6(1), 34-34. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. Graeme Hawthorne , Helen Herrman , Barbara Murphy (2006). Interpreting the WHOQOL-Brèf: Preliminary Population Norms and Effect Sizes . Social Indicators Research, 77(1), 37-59. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. Katherine Gotham , Alison R Marvin , Julie Taylor , Zachary Warren , Connie M Anderson , Paul A Law et al. (2015). Characterizing the daily life, needs, and priorities of adults with autism spectrum disorder from Interactive Autism Network data . Autism, 19(7), 794-804. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Max Birchwood , Swaran P. Singh (2013). Mental health services for young people: matching the service to the need . British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(s54), s1-s2. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. Faye A. Gary (2005). STIGMA: BARRIER TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE AMONG ETHNIC MINORITIES . Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 26(10), 979-999. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  19. Barbara A. Israel , Edith A. Parker , Zachary Rowe , Alicia Salvatore , Meredith Minkler , Jesús López et al. (2005). Community-Based Participatory Research: Lessons Learned from the Centers for Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research . Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(10), 1463-1471. American Chemical Society (ACS).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1289/ehp.7675 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1968759223
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology . Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  21. Seth M. Noar (2006). A 10-Year Retrospective of Research in Health Mass Media Campaigns: Where Do We Go From Here? Journal of Health Communication, 11(1), 21-42. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex
  22. M. Catherine Cappadocia , Jonathan A. Weiss , Debra Pepler (2012). Bullying Experiences Among Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42(2), 266-277. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. Sarah Cassidy , Paul Bradley , Janine Robinson , Carrie Allison , Meghan McHugh , Simon Baron-Cohen (2014). Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger's syndrome attending a specialist diagnostic clinic: a clinical cohort study . The Lancet Psychiatry, 1(2), 142-147. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  24. John F. Strang , Lauren Kenworthy , Peter Daniolos , Laura Case , Meagan C. Wills , Alex Martin et al. (2012). Depression and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders without intellectual disability . Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6(1), 406-412. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  25. Nancy Cheak‐Zamora , Michelle Teti (2015). “You think it’s hard now … It gets much harder for our children”: Youth with autism and their caregiver’s perspectives of health care transition services . Autism, 19(8), 992-1001. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  26. Constantino JN (2012). Social Responsiveness Scale–Second Edition (SRS-2) . Social Responsiveness Scale–Second Edition (SRS-2).
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  27. Laura Crane , James W Chester , Lorna Goddard , Lucy A Henry , Elisabeth L. Hill (2016). Experiences of autism diagnosis: A survey of over 1000 parents in the United Kingdom . Autism, 20(2), 153-162. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  28. Arthur H. Crisp , Michael G. Gelder , Susannah Rix , Howard I. Meltzer , Olwen J. Rowlands (2000). Stigmatisation of people with mental illnesses . British Journal of Psychiatry, 177(1), 4-7. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. Ovsanna T. Leyfer , Susan E. Folstein , Susan Bacalman , Naomi Davis , Elena Dinh , Jubel Morgan et al. (2006). Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders in Children with Autism: Interview Development and Rates of Disorders . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(7), 849-861. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  30. Cecilia A. Essau (2005). Frequency and patterns of mental health services utilization among adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders . Depression and Anxiety, 22(3), 130-137. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/da.20115 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2104196611
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  31. Gael I. Orsmond , Paul Shattuck , Benjamin P. Cooper , Paul R. Sterzing , Kristy A. Anderson (2013). Social Participation Among Young Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(11), 2710-2719. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  32. Elisabeth L. Hill , Sylvie Berthoz , Uta Frith (2004). Brief Report: Cognitive Processing of Own Emotions in Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and in Their Relatives . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(2), 229-235. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  33. Noah J. Sasson , Daniel J. Faso , Jack Nugent , Sarah Lovell , Daniel P. Kennedy , Ruth B. Grossman (2017). Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments . Scientific Reports, 7(1), 40700. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  34. Nora DB Friedman , Marji Erickson Warfield , Susan L Parish (2013). Transition to adulthood for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: current issues and future perspectives . Neuropsychiatry, 3(2), 181-192. OMICS Publishing Group.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  35. Paul Shattuck , Sarah Carter Narendorf , Benjamin Cooper , Paul R. Sterzing , Mary Wagner , Julie Taylor (2012). Postsecondary Education and Employment Among Youth With an Autism Spectrum Disorder . Pediatrics, 129(6), 1042-1049. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  36. Amelia Gulliver , Kathleen M Griffiths , Helen Christensen (2010). Perceived barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking in young people: a systematic review . BMC Psychiatry, 10(1), 113-113. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  37. Silvana Unigwe , Carole Buckley , Laura Crane , Lorcan Kenny , Anna Remington , Elizabeth Pellicano (2017). GPs’ confidence in caring for their patients on the autism spectrum: an online self-report study . British Journal of General Practice, 67(659), e445-e452. Royal College of General Practitioners.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  38. Vikram Patel , Alan J Flisher , Sarah Hetrick , Patrick McGorry (2007). Mental health of young people: a global public-health challenge . The Lancet, 369(9569), 1302-1313. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  39. Moli Paul , Tamsin Ford , Tami Kramer , Zoebia Islam , Kath Harley , Swaran P. Singh (2013). Transfers and transitions between child and adult mental health services . British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(s54), s36-s40. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  40. Debra Rickwood , Frank P. Deane , Coralie J. Wilson , Joseph Ciarrochi (2005). Young people’s help-seeking for mental health problems . Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 4(3), 218-251. Informa UK Limited.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  41. Tatja Hirvikoski , Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz , Marcus Boman , Henrik Larsson , Paul Lichtenstein , Sven Bölte (2016). Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder . British Journal of Psychiatry, 208(3), 232-238. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  42. Mary E. Stewart , Louise Barnard , Joanne Pearson , Reem Hasan , Gregory O’Brien (2006). Presentation of depression in autism and Asperger syndrome . Autism, 10(1), 103-116. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  43. P. B. Jones (2013). Adult mental health disorders and their age at onset . British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(s54), s5-s10. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  44. Emily Simonoff , Andrew Pickles , Tony Charman , Susie Chandler , Tom Loucas , Gillian Baird (2008). Psychiatric Disorders in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Prevalence, Comorbidity, and Associated Factors in a Population-Derived Sample . Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(8), 921-929. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  45. Kamp-Becker I (2010). bibr30-1362361318757048 Psycho-Social Medicine, 7, Doc03.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  46. Kamp-Becker, Inge , Schröder, Johanna , Helmut Remschmidt , Bachmann, Christian J. (2010). Health-related quality of life in adolescents and young adults with high functioning autism-spectrum disorder . PubMed, 7. German Medical Science GMS Publishing House.
    OpenCitations
  47. Kelly CM (2007). bibr31-1362361318757048 The Medical Journal of Australia, 187(7), S26.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  48. Karen A Kuhlthau , Marji E Warfield , Jill Hurson , Jennifer Delahaye , Morgan K Crossman (2015). Pediatric provider’s perspectives on the transition to adult health care for youth with autism spectrum disorder: Current strategies and promising new directions . Autism, 19(3), 262-271. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  49. Lorcan Kenny , Caroline Hattersley , Bonnie Molins , Carole Buckley , Carol Povey , Elizabeth Pellicano (2016). Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community . Autism, 20(4), 442-462. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  50. Connor M. Kerns , Brenna B. Maddox , Philip C Kendall , Keiran Rump , Leandra Berry , Robert T. Schultz et al. (2015). Brief measures of anxiety in non-treatment-seeking youth with autism spectrum disorder . Autism, 19(8), 969-979. SAGE Publications.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  51. S.M. Skevington , M. Lotfy , K.A. O'Connell (2004). The World Health Organization's WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment: Psychometric properties and results of the international field trial. A Report from the WHOQOL Group . Quality of Life Research, 13(2), 299-310. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  52. Anne G. Lever , Hilde M. Geurts (2016). Psychiatric Co-occurring Symptoms and Disorders in Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(6), 1916-1930. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  53. Swaran P. Singh , Moli Paul , Tamsin Ford , Tami Kramer , Tim Weaver , Susan McLaren et al. (2010). Process, outcome and experience of transition from child to adult mental healthcare: multiperspective study . British Journal of Psychiatry, 197(4), 305-312. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  54. D.J. Rickwood , V.A. Braithwaite (1994). Social-psychological factors affecting help-seeking for emotional problems . Social Science & Medicine, 39(4), 563-572. Elsevier BV.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  55. Julie Taylor , Ryan E. Adams , Somer Bishop (2017). Social participation and its relation to internalizing symptoms among youth with autism spectrum disorder as they transition from high school . Autism Research, 10(4), 663-672. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/aur.1709 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2552400229
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  56. Patrick McGorry , Tony Bates , Max Birchwood (2013). Designing youth mental health services for the 21st century: examples from Australia, Ireland and the UK . British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(s54), s30-s35. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  57. Patrick McGorry (2013). Prevention, innovation and implementation science in mental health: the next wave of reform . British Journal of Psychiatry, 202(s54), s3-s4. Royal College of Psychiatrists.
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  58. McManus S, Bebbingon P, Jenkins R, et al. (2016) Mental Health and Wellbeing in England: Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2014, https://www.ukdataservice.ac.uk/media/604876/mcmanus.pdf
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  59. Debra J Rickwood , Frank P Deane , Coralie J Wilson (2007). When and how do young people seek professional help for mental health problems? Medical Journal of Australia, 187(S7), S35-9. Wiley.
    OpenCitations
  60. Rickwood D (2007). bibr54-1362361318757048 The Medical Journal of Australia, 187(7), s35.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  61. Royal College of Psychiatrists (2010). No Health without Public Mental Health: The Case for Action . No Health without Public Mental Health: The Case for Action.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  62. Claire M Kelly , Anthony F Jorm , Annemarie Wright (2007). Improving mental health literacy as a strategy to facilitate early intervention for mental disorders . Medical Journal of Australia, 187(S7), S26. Wiley.
    OpenCitations
  63. Seth M. Noar (2006). A 10-Year Retrospective of Research in Health Mass Media Campaigns: Where Do We Go From Here? Journal of Health Communication, 11(1), 21-42. Informa UK Limited.
    OpenCitations
  64. (1923). “The Medical Journal of Australia” . Medical Journal of Australia, 1(1), 19-19. AMPCo.
    OpenAlex
  65. Sinclair J (1999) Why I Dislike ‘Person-first’ Language: Jim Sinclair’s website. Available at: http://web.archive.org/web/20090210190652/ http://web.syr.edu/~jisincla/person_first.htm (accessed 26 November 2017).
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  66. Eilhard von Domarus (1949). Psychosocial Medicine . American Journal of Psychotherapy, 3(1), 120-121. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    OpenAlex
  67. World Health Organization (WHO) (1996). WHOQOL-BREF: Introduction, Administration, Scoring and Generic Version of the Assessment: Field Trial Version . WHOQOL-BREF: Introduction, Administration, Scoring and Generic Version of the Assessment: Field Trial Version.
    Type: Other
    Crossref