{
  "abstract": "Approximately 3.4% of UK adults suspect they may be autistic and 5.8% suspect they may have Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) without a formal diagnosis. Whether this reflects the polygenic architecture of the corresponding neurodevelopmental conditions or a broader mix of other psychiatric conditions is unknown. We analysed UK Biobank participants who completed autism (n=154,926) and ADHD (n=161,623) trait questionnaires, classifying them into no diagnosis, suspected, or diagnosed groups from a self-report question. We conducted genome-wide association studies of self-reported suspected autism (n=6,797) and suspected ADHD (n=3,611), estimated genetic correlations with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions, and characterised polygenic score (PGS) and co-occurring mental health profiles across groups. Genetic correlations between self-reported suspected autism or ADHD and external autism and ADHD GWAS were not statistically different from 1, and were higher for later-diagnosed autism and adulthood-diagnosed ADHD than childhood-diagnosed forms; correlations with other psychiatric conditions were low to moderate. PGS for most neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions were similarly elevated in self-reported suspected and diagnosed groups relative to no diagnosis, but co-occurring mental health conditions and neurodevelopmental trait scores were highest in the self-reported diagnosed group and intermediate in the self-reported suspected group. Within the self-reported suspected group, PGS and psychiatric diagnoses increased with increasing trait scores. These findings indicate that, as a group, adults who self-report that they have suspected undiagnosed autism or ADHD show a genetic correlation pattern more specific to the corresponding condition than to general psychiatric liability.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "University of Cambridge"
  ],
  "article_type": "PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "A. Alhadeff"
    },
    {
      "name": "Y. Zhao"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Perry"
    },
    {
      "name": "Y. He"
    },
    {
      "name": "Q. Ma"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Baron-Cohen"
    },
    {
      "name": "V. Warrier"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3zwteshnvwfm3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.08.03.26359559",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.03.26359559v2.full",
  "id": "3zwteshnvwfm3",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.03.26359559v2",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "medrxiv",
      "psychiatry and clinical psychology"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2805|Autism Spectrum Disorder Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7172402747",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.03.26359559v2.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-08-03",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3zwteshnvwfm3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:12Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.08.03.26359559",
      "source": "medrxiv",
      "url": "https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.03.26359559v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "medrxiv:psychiatry and clinical psychology",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Adults who suspect they may be autistic or have ADHD show corresponding neurodevelopmental polygenic effects",
  "title_text": "Adults who suspect they may be autistic or have ADHD show corresponding neurodevelopmental polygenic effects",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:12Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3zwteshnvwfm3",
  "venue": "medRxiv",
  "versions": []
}