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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

SO451

Differences in demographics and outcomes between autistic individuals and non-autistic controls presenting to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Australia

DIFFERENCES IN DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND OUTCOMES OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PRESENTATIONS OF AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS AND NON-AUTISTIC CONTROLS IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN AUSTRALIA

Autistic individuals presenting to the emergency department for mental health reasons are younger, more frequently have co-occurring neurodevelopmental diagnoses, and predominantly present with suicidal ideation or aggression; compared with controls, they are less often admitted and more often discharged with referral for community follow-up.

The study aimed to compare the demographic, clinical, and service utilization profiles and outcomes of mental health presentations to the emergency department (ED) between autistic individuals and non-autistic controls. A retrospective case-control study included 246 patients (123 cases, 123 controls) who presented to the Sunshine Emergency Mental Health (EMH) Service between January and mid-October 2025, with the significance threshold set at p<0.05. Significant differences were identified in four areas: autistic individuals were significantly younger, with a higher proportion aged under 18 (p<0.001); the distribution of co-occurring diagnoses showed more ADHD and neurodevelopmental disorders in the autistic group, and more psychotic and mood disorders among controls (p<0.001). Regarding presenting complaints, suicidal ideation or attempts, aggression, and behavioral problems were more common among autistic individuals, whereas psychosis was more common among controls (p=0.03). Regarding disposition, 64% of autistic individuals were discharged to community or general practitioner follow-up, whereas 59% of controls required admission (p<0.001). No significant differences were found in gender distribution (a male-to-female ratio of approximately 1:1 in both groups; the abstract reported 50.4% male, 48.8% female, and 0.8% non-binary in the autistic group, and 46.3% male and 53.7% female among controls), living arrangements, risk level, triage category, or Mental Health Act status; the mean waiting time in the emergency department was 5.33 hours in the autistic group and 5.45 hours among controls. The authors state that the findings highlight the need for neurodevelopmentally affirming crisis pathways, emergency responses that reduce sensory overload, and staff training.

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