Table 1.
Sample Characteristics of Participants Completing the Australian Longitudinal Study of Adults with Autism Self-Report Questionnaire
| Variable | Autistic | Nonautistic | Statistic | p | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | |||
| Gender | ||||||
| Male | 86 | 39.1 | 29 | 19.9 | χ2 (4, n = 398) = 26.35 | <0.001*** |
| Female | 124 | 56.4 | 117 | 80.1 | ||
| Other | 10 | 4.5 | 0 | |||
| Age, mean (SD) | 41.9 (12.2) | 43.7 (13.5) | T (364) = 1.370 | 0.171 | ||
| Relationship status | ||||||
| Single | 82 | 37.3 | 27 | 18.6 | χ2 (3, n = 365) = 28.35 | <0.001*** |
| Married/de facto | 99 | 45.0 | 106 | 73.1 | ||
| Divorced | 33 | 15.0 | 11 | 7.6 | ||
| Girlfriend/boyfriend | 6 | 2.7 | 1 | 0.7 | ||
| Missing | 1 | |||||
| Living arrangement | ||||||
| Alone | 60 | 27.5 | 26 | 17.9 | χ2 (5, n = 363) = 32.01 | <0.001*** |
| With partner | 100 | 45.9 | 106 | 73.1 | ||
| With parents | 31 | 14.2 | 5 | 3.4 | ||
| With relatives | 3 | 1.4 | 3 | 2.1 | ||
| With others | 20 | 9.2 | 5 | 3.4 | ||
| Other arrangement | 4 | 1.8 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Missing | 2 | |||||
| Education | ||||||
| Below year 12 | 11 | 5.1 | 1 | 0.7 | χ2 (2, n = 353) = 6.70 | 0.035* |
| Year 12 | 12 | 5.6 | 4 | 2.9 | ||
| Further education | 19 | 89.2 | 134 | 96.4 | ||
| Missing | 6 | 7 | ||||
| Employment status | ||||||
| Employed | 118 | 44.3 | 105 | 75.5 | χ2 (1, n = 351) = 14.32 | <0.001*** |
| Missing | ||||||
| Intellectual disability | ||||||
| Diagnosed | 10 | 4.5 | 1 | 0.7 | χ2 (1, n = 366) = 4.49 | 0.034* |
| Autism diagnoses | ||||||
| Autism or autism spectrum | ||||||
| Disorder/condition | 49 | 22.6 | ||||
| Autistic disorder | 1 | 0.5 | ||||
| Asperger's disorder | 132 | 60.8 | ||||
| PDD-NOS | 1 | 0.5 | ||||
| Infantile autism | 1 | 0.5 | ||||
| High-functioning autism | 33 | 15.2 | ||||
| Missing | 3 | |||||
| Total AQ score, mean (SD) | 87.6 (10.3) | 55.1 (11.6) | T (344) = 26.96 | <0.001*** | ||
| Missing | 11 | 9 | ||||
| PHQ-9 depression scale, mean (SD) | 10.4 (7.0) | 4.3 (4.6) | T (322) = −8.67 | <0.001*** | ||
| Threshold for diagnosis met | 102 | 51.5 | 15 | 11.9 | χ2 (1, n = 324) = 52.36 | <0.001*** |
| Missing | 22 | 20 | ||||
| DSM-5 Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale, mean (SD) | 14.0 (8.4) | 5.6 (5.6) | T (333) = −10.07 | <0.001*** | ||
| Missing | 15 | 16 | ||||
| Totals (n = 264) | 220 | 146 | ||||
*
p < 0.05, ***p < 0.001.
AQ, autism quotient score; DSM-5, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition; PDD-NOS, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified; PHQ-9, Patient Health Questionnaire 9; SD, standard deviation.