--- title: "Psych News Alert: Antidepressant Reduces Repetitive Behaviors in Adult Autism" description: Adults with autism treated with the antidepressant fluoxetine experienced a significantly greater reduction in repetitive-behavior symptoms ... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Puzzle_61768864-Jun-24-2025-09-33-56-4730-PM.jpg --- 12/21/11 12:00 AM # Antidepressant Reduces Repetitive Behaviors in Adult Autism ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antidepressant-reduces-repetitive.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antidepressant-reduces-repetitive.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antidepressant-reduces-repetitive.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antidepressant-reduces-repetitive.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antidepressant-reduces-repetitive.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Puzzle_61768864-Jun-24-2025-09-33-54-4710-PM.jpg?width=200&height=118&name=Puzzle_61768864-Jun-24-2025-09-33-54-4710-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Puzzle_61768864-Jun-24-2025-09-33-55-6665-PM.jpg) Adults with autism treated with the antidepressant fluoxetine experienced a significantly greater reduction in repetitive-behavior symptoms than those on placebo, according to a report in the* American Journal of Psychiatry* and *[AJP in Advance](http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/Article.aspx?ArticleID=180886)*. Thirty-five percent of the 20 patients on fluoxetine responded, compared with none of the 13 on placebo, and 50 percent of patients on fluoxetine showed improvement in obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, compared with 8 percent of placebo patients, said Eric Hollander, M.D., a clinical professor of psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and director of the Compulsive, Impulsive, and Autism Spectrum Disorder Program at Montefiore Medical Center. “Many people trying to deal with autism believe that you have to intervene early on or it gets fixed in place,” said Hollander. “This study shows that you can intervene in adulthood and get meaningful improvement.” Hollander discusses his research in the December 21 [Psychiatric News Update](http://www.psychnews.org/update/experts_1_18.html). For more information, see the [Textbook of Autism Spectrum Disorders](http://appi.org/SearchCenter/Pages/SearchDetail.aspx?ItemId=62341) from American Psychaitric Publishing. (Image: Artistic Experience/Shutterstock)  [autism spectrum disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism-spectrum-disorder), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [SSRIs](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ssris), [autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism), [adults with autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/adults-with-autism), [obsessive-compulsive](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/obsessive-compulsive), [fluoxetine](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/fluoxetine) ## Related posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/CLipboardGuy_62416978-Jun-24-2025-04-38-36-4127-PM.jpg?height=200&name=CLipboardGuy_62416978-Jun-24-2025-04-38-36-4127-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/few-data-show-effectiveness-of-work.html) [autism spectrum disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism-spectrum-disorder), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [adolescents](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/adolescents), [employment](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/employment), [young adults](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/young-adults) ## [Few Data Show Effectiveness of Work Interventions for Adults With Autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/few-data-show-effectiveness-of-work.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 8/28/12 12:00 AM Eventually, children with autism grow up to become adults with autism, yet little is known about... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/few-data-show-effectiveness-of-work.html) [adolescents](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/adolescents), [autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism), [mindfulness](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/mindfulness), [young adults](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/young-adults), [emotion regulation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/emotion-regulation), [EASE](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ease), [patient engagement](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/patient-engagement), [daily living](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/daily-living) ## [Emotion Regulation Therapy Is Effective for Teens and Young Adults With Autism](https://alert.psychnews.org/2025/08/emotion-regulation-therapy-is-effective.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 8/1/25 12:00 AM The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health is here—with encouraging news, but some missing... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2025/08/emotion-regulation-therapy-is-effective.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/BoyOnSwing_284399-Jun-24-2025-07-44-55-8528-PM.jpg?height=200&name=BoyOnSwing_284399-Jun-24-2025-07-44-55-8528-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/04/what-relationship-between-autism-and.html) [autism spectrum disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/autism-spectrum-disorder), [psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatry), [Sweden](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/sweden), [socioeconomic status](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/socioeconomic-status), [epidemiology](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/epidemiology) ## [What's the Relationship Between Autism and Socioeconomic Status?](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/04/what-relationship-between-autism-and.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 4/25/12 12:00 AM [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/04/what-relationship-between-autism-and.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T21:36:26.160Z", "datePublished" : "2011-12-21T05:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Psych News Alert: Antidepressant Reduces Repetitive Behaviors in Adult Autism", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Puzzle_61768864-Jun-24-2025-09-33-56-4730-PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/antidepressant-reduces-repetitive.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```