Aragon-Guevara Diego A, Mattson Jennifer M Gillis, Kim Hyejung
Department of Psychology, SUNY Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA.
CCPA Department of Teaching, SUNY Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2025 May 21. doi: 10.1007/s10803-025-06876-y.
As more autistic individuals transition into young adulthood, it is crucial to explore factors relevant to success in this period of life, including success in post-secondary education. Mental health challenges have been identified as a significant concern in post-secondary education; however, the majority of research only includes non-autistic students.
The current study utilized data from the 2021 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to compare rates of anxiety and depression, as well as gender differences, in autistic and non-autistic students. The sample included 1399 autistic and 146,220 non-autistic students from 342 universities in the US and Canada.
Autistic students reported significantly higher rates of anxiety (64.5%), and depression (48.2%) compared to their non-autistic peers (9.4% and 7.6%, respectively). Female students reported elevated rates of depression and anxiety compared to male students in both the autistic and non-autistic samples.
These findings highlight the elevated mental health challenges faced by autistic students and underscore the need for increased research and support in post-secondary settings. Future research on risk factors for mental health challenges of autistic post-secondary students might elucidate opportunities and timing for support and screening.
随着越来越多的自闭症患者步入青年期，探索与这一人生阶段成功相关的因素至关重要，其中包括高等教育的成功。心理健康挑战已被确定为高等教育中的一个重大问题；然而，大多数研究仅纳入了非自闭症学生。
本研究利用2021年全国学生参与度调查（NSSE）的数据，比较自闭症学生和非自闭症学生的焦虑和抑郁发生率以及性别差异。样本包括来自美国和加拿大342所大学的1399名自闭症学生和146,220名非自闭症学生。
与非自闭症同龄人相比（分别为9.4%和7.6%），自闭症学生报告的焦虑率（64.5%）和抑郁率（48.2%）显著更高。在自闭症和非自闭症样本中，女生报告的抑郁和焦虑率均高于男生。
这些发现凸显了自闭症学生面临的心理健康挑战加剧，并强调在高等教育环境中需要加强研究和支持。未来对自闭症高等教育学生心理健康挑战风险因素的研究可能会阐明支持和筛查的机会及时机。
