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Evaluation of tava program to improve the quality of life in young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

A. Alvarez Pedrero*
Affiliation:
Mental Health, Parc Taulí University Hospital. Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). I3PT, Sabadell, Spain
I. Parra Uribe
Affiliation:
Mental Health, Parc Taulí University Hospital. Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). I3PT, Sabadell, Spain
R. Muñoz
Affiliation:
Mental Health, Parc Taulí University Hospital. Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). I3PT, Sabadell, Spain
N. Reina
Affiliation:
Mental Health, Parc Taulí University Hospital. Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). I3PT, Sabadell, Spain
M. Llorens
Affiliation:
Mental Health, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu., Barcelona, Spain
A. Palacin
Affiliation:
Mental Health, Parc Hospitalari Martí i Julià, Girona, Spain
S. Membrives
Affiliation:
Mental Health, Parc Taulí University Hospital. Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). I3PT, Sabadell, Spain Mental Health, Hospital Sant Joan de Deu., Barcelona, Spain
J.A. Monreal
Affiliation:
Mental Health., Hospital Universitari Mútua de Terrassa. CIBERSAM, Terrassa, Spain
D. Palao Vidal
Affiliation:
Mental Health, Parc Taulí University Hospital. Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). I3PT, Sabadell, Spain
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), is a population that does not usually receive specific treatment.

Objectives

The main objective of the present study is to evaluate whether specific interventions within the TAVA program (transition program to adult life for patients with ADS), produce significant improvements in the quality of life of young adults with ASD.

Methods

This is a prospective randomized clinical study of patients with ASD (according to DSM-5 criteria) seen in outpatient of the Parc Tauli University Hospital in Sabadell (Barcelona) since September 2017. We compared the quality of life, functionality, caregiver burden, and comorbidity of patients in TAVA program (beneficiaries of group therapy and specific medical and psychosocial interventions), with that of control patients (treatment as usual), after 2 years of intervention.

Results

Our sample is composed of 12 patients with ASD. The average age is 18.4 years. 83% of the sample are men (n = 10). 5 of the patients belonged to TAVA and the other 7 were controls. Overall, TAVA patients presented improvement in the ZARIT and BAI scales compared to control patients. The control patients evolved less favorably in the AAA, SRS and RAAS levels compared to TAVA.

Conclusions

Specific interventions in adults with ASD, improve the caregiver’s feeling of overload and the patients anxiety, compared to the usual interventions. The lack of regulated interventions produces an unfavorable evolution of the core symptoms of autism. More studies are needed to specify efficient interventions to improve the quality of life of adults with ASD.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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