Family Report of ASD Concomitant with Depression or Anxiety Among US Children

The objective is to estimate prevalence of parent-reported depression or anxiety among children with ASD, and describe parental concerns for their children. The design is Analysis of National Survey of Children’s Health, 2003–2004. The participants are a national sample of 102,353 parents. 311,870 (544/100,000) parents of children ages 4–17 in the US reported that their child was diagnosed with autism. 125,809 also reported that their child had depression or anxiety (219/100,000). These parents report substantially higher concerns about their child’s self-esteem, academic success, and potential to be bullied. Clinicians should take into account that children with ASD may face increased risk of depression or anxiety in adolescence. Coordinated care addressing social and emotional health in addition to clinical attention is important in this population.