Autistic traits in childhood and post-traumatic stress disorder as young adults: a cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Despite the higher prevalence of childhood traumatic experiences and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in autistic adults, research on trauma-related psychopathology and autistic traits in young people is lacking. This study examined if high autistic traits in childhood predispose individuals to traumatic experiences, the development of PTSD and general psychopathology, and greater functional impairment by age 18, in both the general population and a subsample of trauma-exposed young people.

Methods

Data were utilised from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative cohort of 2,232 same-sex twins born in 1994-1995 across England and Wales. Participants were a subset of children whose parents completed the Childhood Auti

SUBMITTER: Quinton AMG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12353592 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature