[Comment] Advancing health-care equity for autistic people: mental health as a key priority

Autistic people make up a substantial proportion of society, with global prevalence estimated at around 1%.1 This amounts to approximately 80 million people worldwide, with the majority living in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The risk of poor mental health is substantially elevated in autistic people, with mental health problems typically emerging early in life.2 Estimates of lifetime prevalence in autistic adults are around 40% for both anxiety and depressive disorders.3 The prevalence of other psychiatric disorders is also substantially raised,2 and autistic people are three times more likely to die by suicide.