Mental health challenges like anxiety, depression, or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can create barriers to learning, independence, and employment for young adults on the autism spectrum, making it harder to find and keep the right job.
Embedding mental health supports within employment services can help reduce these barriers. To design more effective support systems, practitioners and policymakers need to better understand how mental health challenges shape the experiences of young adults on the autism spectrum and build programs that remove barriers and expand employment opportunities.
That’s why Mathematica, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, is leading a nationwide survey of more than 3,000 young adults on the autism spectrum—the largest effort of its kind to date.
Although not every autistic person seeks or desires employment, the survey will provide insights on the employment and health experiences of autistic young adults who are working and who want to work, recognizing that employment can enhance well-being for many people on the autism spectrum. Listening sessions with young adults on the autism spectrum and other experts have helped shape our research priorities and questions.
Why workforce leaders should pay attention
Research makes it clear that mental health conditions are very common among people on the autism spectrum:
- Among children and adolescents with autism, about 1 in 4 have ADHD, 1 in 10 have an anxiety disorder, and 1 in 5 have a sleep disorder.
- The odds of having a caregiver-reported mental health concern were 22 to 90 times greater for children with autism compared to children without autism, intellectual disability, or special health care needs.
- Similar patterns emerge for adults with autism. About 27 percent experience an anxiety disorder, 23 percent are diagnosed with depression, and 37 percent have experienced depression at some point in their lives.
- Adults with autism are twice as likely to have an ADHD diagnosis and almost twice as likely to have an anxiety or bipolar disorder diagnosis than their peers without autism.
These challenges often show up in the workplace. Studies suggest:
- Autistic young men with anxiety or depression have a harder time securing jobs than their peers without these mental health conditions.
- Once employed, mental health symptoms can make job retention more difficult.
- Even without a formal diagnosis, youth on the autism spectrum may face challenges with unpredictable workplaces or finding jobs that match their strengths.
- For young adults with autism, depressive symptoms in high school predicted lower rates of positive outcomes such as postsecondary enrollment, paid employment, social well-being, and autonomous living one year after high school compared to autistic young adults without depressive symptoms.
Helping autistic young adults thrive in the job market means designing school, workforce, and employment services that meet both employment and mental health needs. But without a full understanding of mental health needs, these systems may struggle to offer the right supports at the right time.
What we still need to learn
Research on how mental health conditions affect employment outcomes for autistic young adults is limited. More large-scale, representative studies will help give us clearer answers to questions such as:
- How do mental health challenges influence the types of jobs young adults pursue or feel able to pursue?
- What workplace supports—or barriers—matter most?
- How do mental health conditions affect job retention, job satisfaction, or career progression?
- How can programs work together to meet the combined needs of autism and mental health?
Stronger evidence will help workforce, education, and health systems tailor supports that improve outcomes and reduce unmet needs.
Stay connected
Mathematica helps organizations use their data more effectively so they can make decisions faster and with greater confidence. We bring together the right people and tools to create reliable, easy-to-use systems. In the end, programs run better and deliver stronger results for the people they serve.
Findings from our study—expected in 2026—will expand understanding of how mental health shapes the employment experiences of autistic young adults. These insights can help guide policies and programs that promote economic empowerment.
Subscribe to Mathematica’s Evidence and Insights newsletter for future updates and contact the Research Support Services for Employment of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum project team at reyaas@mathematica-mpr.com with any questions.
