Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39518387›Full record

ArticleDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2024

The Prevalence of Autistic Traits in a Sample of Young Adults Referred to a Generalized Mental Health Outpatient Clinic.

Irene Folatti, Giulia Santangelo, Claudio Sanguineti, Sanem Inci, Raffaella Faggioli, Angelo Bertani, Veronica Nisticò, Benedetta Demartini

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Autistic Symptoms and Empathy in Adolescents With Disruptive Mood Dysregulation and Those With Bipolar Disorders.International journal of developmental neuroscience : the official journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Irene FolattiDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20142 Milan, Italy.
Giulia SantangeloDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20142 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0009-0000-7931-8780
Claudio SanguinetiDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20142 Milan, Italy.
Sanem InciDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20142 Milan, Italy.
Raffaella FaggioliUnità di Psichiatria 52, Presidio San Paolo, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, 20142 Milan, Italy.
Angelo BertaniCentro Giovani "Ettore Ponti", Dipartimento Salute Mentale e Dipendenze, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, 20142 Milan, Italy.
Veronica NisticòDipartimento di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20142 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0249-9266
Benedetta DemartiniUnità di Psichiatria 52, Presidio San Paolo, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, 20142 Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-4426-6014

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

objectivesThe diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is undergoing significant revisions, impacting prevalence estimates in the general population. Moreover, the rise of a dimensional perspective on psychopathology has broadened our understanding of autism, recognizing that subthreshold autistic features extend throughout the general population. However, there remains a limited understanding of the prevalence of ASD traits in individuals with psychiatric disorders, particularly in young adults, who are at an age where several mental health conditions emerge. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of ASD traits in a sample of young adults (18-24 years old) attending a generalized mental health outpatient clinic.

methodsA total of 259 young adult patients completed the self-report screening questionnaires Autism Quotient (AQ) and Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R).

resultsA total of 16.2% of our sample scored above the cut-off in both scales; this percentage decreased to 13.13% when restricting the RAADS-R cut-off to >119, as suggested for clinical samples. The association with sociodemographic features is discussed.

conclusionsWe argue that screening for autistic traits should be integrated into the assessment of young adults presenting with nonspecific psychiatric symptoms or psychological distress. Although there is ongoing debate over the use of self-report screening tools, a positive result on both the AQ and RAADS-R should prompt clinicians to pursue a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation using structured or semi-structured interviews.

Indexed as

autism spectrum disorderautistic traitsmental healthscreeningsubthreshold autistic traitsyoung adults

Identifiers

PMID39518387
PMCPMC11545153

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.