The Mental and Physical Health Profiles of Older Adults Who Endorse Elevated Autistic Traits.
Gavin Robert StewartAnne CorbettClive G BallardByron CreeseDag AarslandAdam HampshireRebecca A CharltonFrancesca HappéPublished in: The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences (2021)
These findings suggest that older adults with elevated autistic traits may be at greater risk of poorer mental, but not physical, health in later life. Future studies should incorporate polygenic scores to elucidate the possible genetic links between the propensity to autism/high autistic traits and to psychiatric conditions, and to explore whether those with elevated autistic traits experience particular barriers to mental health care.