Antipsychotics and Autism Ranking:

Audience

According to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2012), antipsychotics are used to help people with “some types of mental distress or disorder - mainly schizophrenia and manic depression (bipolar disorder). They can also be used to help [people with] severe anxiety or depression.”

According to NICE (2012), antipsychotics are also commonly used to help autistic people

“Antipsychotic drugs have been widely used in people with autism; for instance, a longitudinal study of 286 adolescents and adults in the US found that they were the second most commonly taken drug among people aged over 20 years (38%), after antidepressants (44%) (Esbensen et al., 2009). In a UK audit of drug use for challenging behaviour in a learning disabilities sample (in which the commonest coexisting diagnosis was autism), 96% were prescribed antipsychotic medication (Marshall, 2004). In another community sample of people with a learning difficulty, Dhumad and Markar (2007) reported that autism was the reason for prescribing antipsychotic medication in 20% of people.”

Updated

17 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Nov 2016

Next Review

01 Mar 2023