Women with ASD report elevated rates of pain

Women with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience high rates of pain that can interfere with daily life, according to a survey by researchers in the United States.

Nathan Haid and colleagues surveyed 52 autistic adults assigned female at birth. Participants completed the Brief Pain Inventory, the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale (PASS-20), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7).

The researchers say, “We found that 65.4% of autistic AFAB [assigned female at birth] people in our sample reported pain in the last 24 hours. Although we did not directly compare autistic and non-autistic samples, in the National Health Interview Survey, only 22.1% of women reported pain most days of the week.” In addition, the researchers say, the degree to which participants said pain interfered with their lives was comparable to that seen in chronic pain populations.

Study participants also reported high rates of both generalized anxiety and pain-related anxiety. Higher scores on the cognitive pain-related anxiety subscale of the PASS-20—which measures anxiety related to rumination and fixation on pain—were associated with an increase in generalized anxiety as well as an increased impact of pain on daily life.

The researchers conclude that autistic women “are experiencing high rates of pain, pain interference, anxiety, and pain-related anxiety,” adding, “Given the relationship between pain and anxiety reported for autistic women, therapies that specifically target pain-related anxiety may have profound impacts on autistic women’s quality of life.”

Citations

“Autistic women report high levels of pain, pain-related anxiety, and pain interference,” Nathan W. Haid, Michelle D. Failla, and Alexandra Sturm, Pain Reports, December 2025 (free online). Address: Alexandra Sturm, Loyola Marymount University, 1 LMU Dr., Suite 4700, Los Angeles, CA 90045, [email protected].