The quality of life and the future of young adults with Asperger syndrome

Abstract

Purpose: This pilot study describes the socio-professional development and quality of life of young adults with Asperger syndrome in France.

Methods: Those young adults, between 18 and 30 years old, receiving care in a child psychiatry department for autistic spectrum disorder, were requested to respond to the Ad Hoc, World Health Organization Quality Of Life – Bref and Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaires regarding their socio-professional background and feelings about their future.

Results: Of the 79 eligible subjects, 24 were selected to participate in our study. Their average age at the time of the pilot study was 22.2 years (standard deviation 3.4 years), and their average age when they were diagnosed was 17.5 years (standard deviation 3.7 years.). There were 54% who reported a psychiatric comorbidity anxiety disorder. Half stated they had completed secondary school and benefitted from being professionally employed. During this study, only six were employed, while the others remained financially dependent on their parents. The group’s quality of life self-assessment scores were significantly lower compared to the French general population in overall psychology (43.6 versus 68.7) and social relationships (48.9 versus 76.5). However, the study’s participants perceived work as an important means to their personal development. Hence, in order to cope with their difficulties, they hoped to benefit from customized support adapted to their autistic disorder and for their workplace colleagues to be better informed about Asperger syndrome.

Conclusions: Our results are in line with international data. Additional studies need to be done in order to determine socio-professional integration factors and, in particular, the integration of potential contributions by occupational health departments with those social and medical teams supporting these young adults.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Young adults with Asperger syndrome benefit from the support of their family in determining their professional goals.

• Support may be required to enhance social and communicative abilities to help integration.

• Employees would benefit from information on the syndrome and how best to support.

Keywords:

• Asperger syndrome
• autistic spectrum disorder
• employment
• outcome
• quality of life
• adults
• young adults
• World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the Psychiatric Department for Adolescents of Salvator University Hospital in Marseille (France) and the Occupational Health Department of Timone University Hospital for their contribution to this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.