Emanuela Nobile, Giovanni Cicinelli, Elisa De Bartolo, Romeo Brambilla, Stefania Brighenti, Roberto Keller
SSD Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico in età Adulta, Centro Esperto Regione Piemonte, ASL Città di Torino, Turin, Italy.
S.C. Emergenze Infettive, Prevenzione e Promozione della Salute, Dipartimento della Prevenzione, ASL Città di Torino, Turin, Italy.
Clin Neuropsychiatry. 2025 Jun;22(3):196-206. doi: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20250303.
Autism Spectrum Disorders are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by persistent communication and social interaction challenges, restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests. The severity of ASD symptoms varies widely, influencing an individual's functioning throughout their lifespan. Various external contextual factors can further modulate these symptoms and their impact on overall functioning. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate global functioning as well as the types of services, interventions and therapies that subjects with ASD in adulthood have experienced throughout their lives. Additionally, we collected data to analyze and identify factors that impact outcomes for subjects with ASD.
A total of 503 subjects with ASD in adulthood, along with their families and clinicians, were interviewed to collect comprehensive data on demographic, clinical, and functional variables. Data were analyzed using regression models to identify factors independently associated with global functioning, measured through the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale.
We identified internal and external factors that significantly impacted the global functioning of ASD people.The analysis identified multiple factors significantly affecting global functioning, including levels of communication, psychiatric comorbidities, social relationships, use of interventions, and living and employment status. The study highlights the critical role of both individual and contextual elements in shaping outcomes.
Our study represents an exploratory investigation of outcomes for ASD adults. It underscores the importance of personalized and targeted interventions to improve the quality of life and overall functioning of subjects with ASD in adulthood. The findings advocate for further research to address gaps in understanding and to design interventions tailored to diverse needs.
自闭症谱系障碍是神经发育障碍，其特征为持续存在的沟通和社交互动挑战、受限及重复的行为和兴趣。自闭症谱系障碍症状的严重程度差异很大，会影响个体一生的功能。各种外部环境因素可进一步调节这些症状及其对整体功能的影响。本研究的主要目的是调查成年自闭症谱系障碍患者的整体功能，以及他们一生中所经历的服务、干预措施和治疗类型。此外，我们收集数据以分析和确定影响自闭症谱系障碍患者治疗结果的因素。
共对503名成年自闭症谱系障碍患者及其家人和临床医生进行了访谈，以收集有关人口统计学、临床和功能变量的综合数据。使用回归模型分析数据，以确定与通过功能总体评定量表（GAF）衡量的整体功能独立相关的因素。
我们确定了对自闭症谱系障碍患者整体功能有显著影响的内部和外部因素。分析确定了多个显著影响整体功能的因素，包括沟通水平、精神共病、社会关系、干预措施的使用以及生活和就业状况。该研究强调了个体因素和环境因素在塑造治疗结果方面的关键作用。
我们的研究是对成年自闭症谱系障碍患者治疗结果的探索性调查。它强调了个性化和针对性干预措施对于提高成年自闭症谱系障碍患者生活质量和整体功能的重要性。研究结果主张进一步开展研究，以填补认识上的空白，并设计针对不同需求的干预措施。
