Anxiety and Depression in Autistic College Students: The Freshman Survey Results

Objective Mental health among undergraduate students is a growing concern in higher education, but relatively little is known about the mental health of autistic college students. In order to better understand the unique needs of this population, the present study examines whether demographic and psychosocial correlates of anxiety and depression differ in autistic first-year college students and their non-autistic peers.  Methods Secondary data analysis was conducted utilizing population-weighted data of full-time college students in their first year attending four-year colleges and universities in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Autistic and non-autistic students who self-identified as having frequent anxiety or depression were compared in terms of demographic characteristics, physical and emotional health, and academic aspirations and achievement. Results The majority of first-year students with frequent anxiety or depression in this sample tended to be white and had parents who completed a bachelor's degree or went to graduate school, with higher rates of male students in the autistic group. While autistic college freshmen with frequent anxiety or depression self-report lower overall quality of physical health (below average or lowest 10% reported by 57.3% vs. 37.1%) and higher rates of learning disabilities (25.3% vs. 4.6%) and psychological disorders (62.3% vs. 29.3%), these students also tend to outperform their non-autistic peers on standardized academic testing. Conclusion As autistic students are investing in themselves through their education and future careers, practitioners and researchers alike should be investing in accessible physical and mental health services in order to help set autistic students up for success in college and beyond.