Youngsters with autism are at more risk of alcoholism, a new research shows.
The research found that youngsters with autism symptoms have more chances of getting addicted if they start drinking.
Researchers studied 3,080 Australian twins. All the participants did not have autism and were examined for their responses in interviews and surveys to find symptoms related to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder such as inattention and problems in concentrating . Researchers also looked for behaviors associated with autism.
The study revealed that people with more ADHD symptoms or autistic traits were more likely to abuse alcohol. Furthermore, they were also more likely to smoke cigarettes and use marijuana.
The findings showed that 39 percent of people with six or more autistic behaviours smoked pot for over 10 times in their lives.
"Drinking to intoxication is a social activity that is more likely to occur in a group," study author Duneesha De Alwis, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, said in a press release. "People with autistic traits can be socially withdrawn, so drinking with peers is less likely. But if they do start drinking, even alone, they tend to repeat that behavior, which puts them at increased risk for alcohol dependence."
De Alwis expressed surprise over the study results. She said the team expected the participants not to use marijuana because people at greatest risk for autism spectrum disorders are mostly reluctant to take risks and typically take steps to avoid harm.
The research team stated that people with ADHD were more likely to engage in social drinking and drink till intoxication. But those with autistic traits were less likely to do either of the things. However, drinking at all significantly raised their risk of alcohol dependence.
"Binge drinking, for example, might happen in a very developmentally limited fashion," she said. "People are most likely to binge drink during college. Then they mature and go on with life. Someone who is more socially withdrawn may not engage in that sort of drinking, but he or she may have an escalating pattern of drinking that leads to alcoholism."
"It could be that people with just a few autistic traits have an increased risk of substance-abuse problems, while those with more traits are somehow protected," Agrawal concluded. "For this study, we clumped all of these symptoms together. In future research, we want to look at how individual traits-like repetitive behaviors or being withdrawn socially-may influence risk. It could be that some traits related to autism are protective, while others elevate the risk for alcohol and substance-abuse problems."
The findings were published in the 'Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.'
