Table 1.
Cohort characteristics
| Cohort characteristics | All | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of subjects (%) with at least one diagnosis of ASD | 20194 (100%) | 15923 (78.9%) | 4271 (21.1%) |
| Age at first recorded diagnosis of ASD (%) | |||
| 0–2 | 369 (1.8%) | 307 (1.5%) | 62 (0.3%) |
| 3–5 | 5094 (25.2%) | 4225 (20.9%) | 869 (4.3%) |
| 6–12 | 8601 (42.5%) | 7021 (34.7%) | 1580 (7.8%) |
| 13–18 | 3263 (16.1%) | 2325 (11.5%) | 938 (4.6%) |
| 19–24 | 858 (4.2%) | 609 (3.0%) | 249 (1.2%) |
| 25–64 | 1944 (9.6%) | 1389 (6.8%) | 555 (2.7%) |
| ≥ 65 | 65 (0.3%) | 47 (0.2%) | 18 (0.09%) |
| Neuropsychiatric comorbidities (%) | |||
| Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | 2897 (14.3) | 2454 (12.1) | 443 (2.2) |
| Anxiety | 3077 (15.2) | 2085 (10.3) | 992 (4.9) |
| Behavioural/conduct disorders | 6208 (30.7) | 5023 (24.9) | 1185 (5.8) |
| Intellectual disabilities | 2093 (10.3) | 1591 (7.8) | 502 (2.5) |
| Sleep disorders | 879 (4.3) | 682 (3.4) | 197 (0.9) |
| Depression | 2234 (11.0) | 1459 (7.2) | 775 (3.8) |
| Epilepsy | 909 (4.5) | 652 (3.2) | 257 (1.3) |
| Schizophrenia | 152 (0.7) | 117 (0.5) | 35 (0.2) |
| Tic disorders | 411 (2.0) | 359 (1.8) | 52 (0.2) |
| Psychotropic medication prescribing (%) | |||
| Antidepressant | 1836 (9.0) | 1218 (6.0) | 618 (3.0) |
| Antiepileptic | 585 (2.8) | 418 (2.0) | 167 (0.8) |
| Antipsychotic | 814 (4.0) | 614 (3.0) | 200 (1.0) |
| Anxiolytic | 237 (1.1) | 162 (0.8) | 75 (0.3) |
| Hypnotic | 1894 (9.3) | 1510 (7.4) | 384 (1.9) |
| Stimulant | 1163 (5.7) | 1015 (5.0) | 148 (0.7) |