The mATCH Study: People with autism detained within hospitals – defining the population, understanding aetiology and improving care pathways

Peter Langdon and colleagues have published a paper on people with autism detained in hospitals.

Background to the study:

Some people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are detained within hospitals because of the risk of violence, but we know little about the relationship between autism and this risk, nor do we fully understand the differences within this group and the implications for clinical care. There is little information about the most appropriate care-pathway for this population. There is a lack of evidence linking risk of future violence and ASD, and there is evidence that diagnosis alone is not an appropriate predictor of outcome from secure hospitals. It is more likely that comorbid factors, related to neurocognitive functioning and personality explain the relationship between violence and autism. Considering that secure beds are expensive, it is important to clarify the relationships between these variables to help manage risk carefully, target resources correctly, and ensure care pathways are appropriate. We have developed a sub-typology of people with ASD who have been detained in hospital. While these subtypes have face validity, they have not been examined thoroughly for people with ASD detained in hospital either in respect to treatment needs or outcome within the hospital care pathway.

More information here:

https://www.researchgate.net/project/The-mATCH-Study-People-with-autism-detained-within-hospitals-defining-the-population-understanding-aetiology-and-improving-care-pathways

 

 

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