Social disadvantage linked to health risks in autistic adults
Compared with matched adults without autism, social disadvantage was estimated to account for 39% of autistic adults’ higher mortality risk.
An observational study of UK Biobank participants compared 576 autistic adults without intellectual disability with 5,760 matched adults without autism. Participants had a mean age of 51.6 years, and 66.4% were male. The autistic adults averaged 15.2 years of education. Researchers matched the groups by age, sex, area of residence, race and education.
Researchers assessed social conditions using 12 indicators covering economic circumstances, health care, neighbourhoods and social life. Autistic adults experienced disadvantage across nearly all dimensions. They also had higher rates of new cardiovascular disease, dementia, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety. A statistical analysis estimated that social disadvantage accounted for 39% of the higher mortality risk and 17% to 38% of the higher risks of these conditions.
Why it matters
The authors called for policies addressing barriers in employment, health care, housing and community participation to tackle health inequities in middle and later adulthood, beyond individual-level support.
Caveats
The observational design cannot establish that social disadvantage caused the higher health risks. The findings concern autistic adults without intellectual disability and may not apply to those with intellectual disability.
The paper
Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Autism, 14 Oct 2026