Understanding the substance use of autistic adults: a mixed methods approach – Elizabeth Weir (University of Cambridge)

Despite some evidence that autistic individuals may have increased risks of substance use-related problems, there is little existing research on this topic. This talk will focus on new results from a mixed methods study using the Autism and Physical Health Survey Dataset. It employs self-report data from nearly 2,400 autistic and non-autistic individuals (aged 16-90 years) to provide insight into substance use patterns (e.g. binge-drinking, frequent smoking, recreational drug use, etc..), as well as the motivations, attitudes, and experiences of autistic adults regarding substance use.