ERIC Number: EJ1460702
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jan
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: EISSN-1573-3432
Available Date: 2023-12-06
Autistic Characteristics in a Nationally Representative Clinical Sample of Adolescents Seeking Medical Gender-Affirming Treatment in Norway
Linda W. David1,2; Nina Stenberg3; Trond H. Diseth1,2; Sissel Berge Helverschou4; Cecilie Bjertness Nyquist1,2; Roald A. Øien5,6; Anne Waehre1
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v55 n1 p147-157 2025
Purpose: Several studies have reported on the intersection of autism and gender incongruence (GI) in clinical populations. This study aims to investigate autistic characteristics and registered autism spectrum diagnoses (ASD) in a clinical cohort of 83 adolescents referred to the National Gender Team for Children and Adolescents in Norway during 2020. Methods: Parents completed the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Background information and registered psychiatric diagnoses were extracted from patient files. Results: The results showed that 25% of the participants scored within the clinical range on the SRS: 27.4% of adolescents who were assigned female at birth (AFAB) and 19.0% of adolescents who were assigned male at birth (AMAB). AFAB had significantly higher scores on SRS Total Scale and the Social Motivation and Autistic Mannerisms subscales compared to the female norm group. AMAB had higher scores on the Social Motivation subscale and lower scores on the Social Awareness subscale, compared to the male norm population. Information from patient files revealed that 67.5% had one or more registered psychiatric diagnosis. 9.6% had received an ASD diagnosis, all AFAB. 18.1% had received an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. The most common psychiatric diagnoses were depression (25.3%) and anxiety disorders (18.1%). Further, 44.6% had a history of self-harm, and 15.7% had a history of a suicide attempt. Conclusion: The results showed an overrepresentation of ASD diagnoses and autistic characteristics measured by SRS for AFAB. There was an overrepresentation of psychiatric diagnoses for both the AFAB and the AMAB group in this study sample. Implications for treatment and future research are discussed.
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Gender Identity, Transgender People, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Adolescents, Mental Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression (Psychology), Anxiety, Self Destructive Behavior, Suicide, Disproportionate Representation, Foreign Countries
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2123/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Norway
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Social Responsiveness Scale
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Oslo University Hospital, Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health in Hospitals, Oslo, Norway; 2University of Oslo, Division of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Oslo, Norway; 3Oslo University Hospital, Regional Resource Center for Autism, ADHD and Tourette Syndrome, South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority, Oslo, Norway; 4Oslo University Hospital, NevSom - Norwegian Centre of Expertice for Neurodevelopmental disorders and Hypersomnias, Oslo, Norway; 5UNN - University Hospital of Northern Norway, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway; 6Yale University, School of Medicine, Child Study Center, New Haven, USA