Psychiatric symptoms and comorbidities in autism spectrum disorder: A narrative review

Autism Spectrum Disorder includes a group of developmental disorders characterized by a delay and deviation in the development of communication, socialization, cognitive skills, and the presence of restricted interests as well as repetitive behaviors. In the present paper, the authors present the psychiatric disorders that can most often be associated with the diagnosis of autism and the most frequent diagnostic means to diagnose comorbidity. Diagnosis can be difficult, especially in mild forms, because individuals with autism are more likely to have comorbid psychiatric disorders than the general population. Moreover, psychiatric comorbidities can worsen the clinical course of autism and determine resistance to pharmacological treatments. Further studies are needed to validate increasingly sensitive psychometric scales in identifying psychiatric comorbidities in people with autism and to use more appropriate medications for the management of core aspects of autism.