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Understanding psychiatrists' knowledge, attitudes and experiences in identifying and supporting their patients on the autism spectrum: online survey.
BJPsych Open. 2019 Apr 05; 5(3):e33.BO

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Psychiatrists play a critical role in identifying and supporting their patients on the autism spectrum in the UK, yet little is known about their knowledge, attitudes and experiences in this regard.

AIMS

To understand psychiatrists' experiences of working with autistic individuals, their confidence in making diagnostic/management decisions and the factors that affect such decisions.

METHOD

A total of 172 psychiatrists took part in an online self-report survey.

RESULTS

Most psychiatrists reported receiving useful training on autism and were knowledgeable about the condition, particularly those with a personal connection to autism. Higher confidence in working with autistic patients was linked to greater levels of autism knowledge, experience and training. Several systemic and autism-specific factors were highlighted by psychiatrists, which were felt to challenge their ability to provide effective care and support for their patients on the autism spectrum.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychiatrists' views corroborated previous research with the autism community, highlighting the need to co-design services that are accessible, respectful and person-centred.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST

I.D. is the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Autism Champion.

Links

PMC Free PDF

Authors+Show Affiliations

Crane L
Associate Professor, Centre for Research in Autism and Education, UCL Institute of Education, UK.
Davidson I
RCPsych Autism Champion and Consultant Psychiatrist, Royal College of Psychiatrists; and ASD Service, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
Prosser R
Undergraduate Placement Student, Centre for Research in Autism and Education, UCL Institute of Education, UK.
Pellicano E
Professor of Educational Studies, Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University, Australia.

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

31530309

Citation

Crane, Laura, et al. "Understanding Psychiatrists' Knowledge, Attitudes and Experiences in Identifying and Supporting Their Patients On the Autism Spectrum: Online Survey." BJPsych Open, vol. 5, no. 3, 2019, pp. e33.
Crane L, Davidson I, Prosser R, et al. Understanding psychiatrists' knowledge, attitudes and experiences in identifying and supporting their patients on the autism spectrum: online survey. BJPsych Open. 2019;5(3):e33.
Crane, L., Davidson, I., Prosser, R., & Pellicano, E. (2019). Understanding psychiatrists' knowledge, attitudes and experiences in identifying and supporting their patients on the autism spectrum: online survey. BJPsych Open, 5(3), e33. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2019.12
Crane L, et al. Understanding Psychiatrists' Knowledge, Attitudes and Experiences in Identifying and Supporting Their Patients On the Autism Spectrum: Online Survey. BJPsych Open. 2019 Apr 5;5(3):e33. PubMed PMID: 31530309.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Understanding psychiatrists' knowledge, attitudes and experiences in identifying and supporting their patients on the autism spectrum: online survey. AU - Crane,Laura, AU - Davidson,Ian, AU - Prosser,Rachel, AU - Pellicano,Elizabeth, Y1 - 2019/04/05/ PY - 2019/9/19/entrez PY - 2019/9/19/pubmed PY - 2019/9/19/medline KW - Autism KW - diagnosis KW - identification KW - psychiatrist KW - self-efficacy SP - e33 EP - e33 JF - BJPsych open JO - BJPsych Open VL - 5 IS - 3 N2 - BACKGROUND: Psychiatrists play a critical role in identifying and supporting their patients on the autism spectrum in the UK, yet little is known about their knowledge, attitudes and experiences in this regard. AIMS: To understand psychiatrists' experiences of working with autistic individuals, their confidence in making diagnostic/management decisions and the factors that affect such decisions. METHOD: A total of 172 psychiatrists took part in an online self-report survey. RESULTS: Most psychiatrists reported receiving useful training on autism and were knowledgeable about the condition, particularly those with a personal connection to autism. Higher confidence in working with autistic patients was linked to greater levels of autism knowledge, experience and training. Several systemic and autism-specific factors were highlighted by psychiatrists, which were felt to challenge their ability to provide effective care and support for their patients on the autism spectrum. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatrists' views corroborated previous research with the autism community, highlighting the need to co-design services that are accessible, respectful and person-centred. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: I.D. is the Royal College of Psychiatrists' Autism Champion. SN - 2056-4724 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/31530309/Understanding_psychiatrists'_knowledge_attitudes_and_experiences_in_identifying_and_supporting_their_patients_on_the_autism_spectrum:_online_survey_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -