Mental Health and University Students on the Autism Spectrum: a Literature Review
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REVIEW PAPER
Mental Health and University Students on the Autism Spectrum: a Literature Review S. Jay Kuder 1 & Amy L. Accardo 1
&
Estyr M. Bomgardner 1
Received: 6 February 2020 / Accepted: 25 September 2020 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract An increasing amount of evidence indicates that mental health conditions pose a significant challenge for post-secondary students on the autism spectrum. A review of the literature was conducted to bring greater awareness to the issue of mental health conditions of university students on the autism spectrum, to identify the impact of mental health conditions on university success, and to identify support services that can help students on the autism spectrum successfully complete their post-secondary education. Overall, 23 studies met inclusion criteria, spanning across the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Belgium, China, and Japan. Data is reported according to three categories: the frequency and/or type of mental health condition experienced by students on the autism spectrum; the impact of mental health conditions on students; and effectiveness of supports for students with mental health conditions. Keywords Autism . College . University . Mental health . Anxiety . Post-secondary education
An increasing amount of evidence indicates that mental health conditions pose a significant challenge for post-secondary students on the autism spectrum. That individuals with autism have mental health conditions may not, in itself, be surprising. But what is of concern is the extent and serious nature of these conditions and the impact they may be having on the success (or lack of success) of university students on the autism spectrum. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (2020) defines a mental illness as, “a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling or mood. Such conditions may affect someone’s ability to relate to others and function each day.” The Alliance also uses the term “mental health condition” in describing these illnesses, for example, in a national survey on mental health conditions of university students which included the
* Amy L. Accardo [email protected] S. Jay Kuder [email protected] Estyr M. Bomgardner [email protected] 1
College of Education, Rowan University, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, NJ 08028, USA
following conditions: anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and substance abuse (Gruttadaro and Crudo 2012). In keeping with that usage, we will use the term mental health condition throughout this paper. Mental health conditions are a co-morbid characteristic of autism. While diagnosis of psychological and psychiatric conditions can often be difficult due the confounding nature of the major characteristics of autism itself, there is evidence that such conditions are widespread. For example, in a study of 122 individuals on the autism spectrum, Hofvander et al. (2009) found high rates of psychiatric co-
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