Traits autistiques chez les medecins : une etude transversale de medecins recherchant un soutien en sante mentale

Titre original en anglais : Autistic Traits in Doctors: A Cross-sectional Study of Doctors Seeking Mental Health Support

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Abeyratne, L., Courtenay, K., Al-Najjar, Z., Shaw, S. C. K., Odiaka, V., Doherty, M., & Perera, B. (2025). Autistic Traits in Doctors: A Cross-sectional Study of Doctors Seeking Mental Health Support [Preprint]. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7437542/v1

Date de publication: 09/09/2025 Ajout dans AutiHub: 05/07/2026 Type: Prépublication Langue de l’article: Anglais
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Auteurs

Auteur·ices des publications
7
Auteur·ices de la publication identifié·es comme autistes
2 / 7 (28,6 %)
  1. Liren Abeyratne
  2. Ken Courtenay
  3. Zaid Al-Najjar
  4. Sebastian Charles Keith Shaw *
  1. Vincent Odiaka
  2. Mary Doherty *
  3. Bhathika Perera

Résumé

Resume Contexte Les conditions neurodeveloppementales sont de plus en plus reconnues comme importantes pour comprendre les difficultes de sante mentale. Cependant, la presence de l'autisme chez les medecins rencontrant des problemes de sante mentale reste peu etudiee. Cette etude vise a estimer la prevalence des traits autistiques chez les medecins recherchant un soutien en sante mentale et a examiner les associations avec les caracteristiques demographiques, la specialite medicale et les conditions de sante mentale et neurodeveloppementales concomitantes. Methodes Nous avons mene une analyse transversale de donnees autodeterminees par des medecins ayant accede a NHS Practitioner Health entre avril et juillet 2024. L'Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10) a servi au depistage des traits autistiques, parallelement a des mesures validees de la depression (PHQ-9), de l'anxiete (GAD-7), de la detresse psychologique (CORE-10) et des traits de TDAH (ASRS-6). Une regression logistique a ete utilisee pour evaluer les associations avec des variables demographiques, cliniques et de specialite. Resultats Parmi les 946 medecins inclus, 13,6 % ont obtenu un resultat positif au depistage de l'autisme avec l'AQ-10. Un depistage positif etait significativement associe au genre masculin (OR = 1.68, p = 0.008), a l'age de 22 a 29 ans (OR = 1.84, p = 0.016), au travail en psychiatrie (OR = 2.48, p = 0.010) et aux specialites chirurgicales (OR = 2.07, p = 0.037). La positivite a l'AQ-10 etait egalement associee a des probabilites significativement plus elevees d'anxiete, de depression, de detresse psychologique et de depistage positif du TDAH. Discussion Cette etude a observe une prevalence notablement elevee de traits autistiques chez des medecins britanniques recherchant un soutien en sante mentale, ce qui souleve les possibilites d'une sous-reconnaissance et d'un possible camouflage au sein de cette main-d'oeuvre. Les associations avec le genre, la specialite et les symptomes psychiatriques concomitants soulignent la necessite d'une identification plus precoce et de systemes de soutien adaptes. Les resultats sont limites par le recours a un depistage par autoevaluation et a un echantillon restreint de medecins recherchant activement un soutien psychologique, ce qui limite la generalisabilite. Neanmoins, cette etude fournit de nouvelles connaissances sur la neurodiversite en medecine. Conclusions Une proportion importante de medecins recherchant un soutien en sante mentale a obtenu un resultat positif au depistage de traits autistiques, avec une comorbidite psychiatrique et neurodeveloppementale notable. Ces resultats soulignent l'importance de prendre en compte un autisme sous-jacent lors de l'evaluation et du soutien des medecins ayant des difficultes de sante mentale.

Abstract Background Neurodevelopmental conditions are increasingly recognised as important to understanding mental health difficulties. However, the presence of autism among doctors experiencing mental health problems remains underexplored. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of autistic traits among doctors seeking mental health support and examine associations with demographic characteristics, medical speciality, and co-occurring mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of self-reported data from doctors who accessed NHS Practitioner Health between April and July 2024. The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10) screened for autistic traits, alongside validated measures of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), psychological distress (CORE-10), and ADHD traits (ASRS-6). Logistic regression was used to assess associations with demographic, clinical, and speciality variables. Results Of the 946 doctors included, 13.6% screened positive for autism using the AQ-10. Positive screening was significantly associated with male gender (OR = 1.68, p = 0.008), age 22–29 (OR = 1.84, p = 0.016), working in psychiatry (OR = 2.48, p = 0.010), and surgical specialities (OR = 2.07, p = 0.037). AQ-10 positivity was also associated with significantly higher odds of anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and screening positive for ADHD. Discussion This study found a notably high prevalence of autistic traits among UK doctors seeking mental health support which raises the possibilities of under-recognition and possible masking within this workforce. Associations with gender, specialty, and co-occurring psychiatric symptoms highlight the need for earlier identification and tailored support systems. Findings are limited by reliance on self-report screening and a restricted sample of doctors actively seeking psychological support, limiting generalisability. Nevertheless, this study provides novel insights into neurodiversity in medicine. Conclusions A substantial proportion of doctors seeking mental health support screened positive for autistic traits with notable psychiatric and other neurodevelopmental comorbidity. These findings highlight the importance of considering underlying autism when assessing and supporting doctors with mental health difficulties.

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Vue d’ensemble de l’inclusion dans la bibliographie

Ces indicateurs décrivent la bibliographie citée importée pour cette publication. Les métriques de références citées utilisent le total des références citées comme dénominateur. Les métriques d’auteurices cité·es indiquent si elles utilisent toutes les occurrences d’auteurices cité·es ou seulement les occurrences rattachées à des auteurices déjà intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub. Ils utilisent les rattachements mis en cache entre les auteurices cité·es et les auteurices intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub. Dernier calcul : 16/08/2026 11:30.

Références citées
39
Nombre total de références citées intégrées pour cette publication.
Références citées avec un·e auteur·ice identifié·e comme autiste
3 / 39 (7,7 %)
Occurrences d’auteur·ices cité·es identifié·es comme autistes
10 / 201 (5,0 %)
Parmi les occurrences rattachées à des auteurices intégré·es à la base de données AutiHub : 10 / 40 (25,0 %). Auteurices cité·es distinct·es identifié·es comme autistes : 6 / 193 (3,1 %).
Occurrences citées rattachées à la base AutiHub
40 / 201 (19,9 %)
Auteurices cité·es distinct·es rattaché·es : 33 / 193 (17,1 %)
Occurrences rattachées, non identifiées comme autistes
30 / 40 (75,0 %)
Parmi les seules occurrences rattachées. Sur l’ensemble des occurrences d’auteurices cité·es : 30 / 201 (14,9 %). Auteurices cité·es distinct·es rattaché·es, non identifié·es comme autistes : 27 / 33 (81,8 %).
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