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Adult autism diagnoses in Britain have soared tenfold since 2010, largely driven by young women with ADHD and anxiety

A woman with ADHD, a condition now among those most commonly linked to new autism diagnoses, which rose from 6 to 64 per 100,000 adults in Britain between 2010 and 2023.
A woman with ADHD, a condition now among those most commonly linked to new autism diagnoses, which rose from 6 to 64 per 100,000 adults in Britain between 2010 and 2023.

A BMJ Mental Health study drawing on health records from more than 33 million adults in the UK and Sweden found that new autism diagnoses climbed from six per 100,000 people in 2010 to 64 per 100,000 by 2023. Researchers from several British universities and Sweden's Karolinska Institute say the increase is concentrated in 16-to-20-year-olds, with roughly 4 per cent of that age group now holding a diagnosis.

Among autistic adults, those who had previously been diagnosed with anxiety more than doubled in share, rising from 29 per cent to 58 per cent between 2010 and 2023.

Epilepsy and intellectual disability as co-occurring conditions declined sharply, giving way to ADHD, depression, eating disorders, chronic fatigue and sleep disorders.

Some experts attribute the shift to 'cultural changes' in how autism is defined, while others contend it reflects improved recognition of the condition.

MoreiNewsHow autism diagnoses are 'increasingly linked to ADHD'Daily MailAutism diagnoses risen 10-fold since 2010 - mostly in young womenLBCAutism diagnosis increasingly linked to also having ADHD and anxiety, research says - LBCThe IndependentAutism diagnoses rise among those with ADHD, anxiety and depressionThe SunAutism diagnoses surge 10-fold in 13 years as study finds 'characteristics' have shifted over time - The SunMedical XpressMajor changes discovered in medical profiles of adults diagnosed with autism since 2010 - Medical Xpress
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