Depressive Symptoms in Autistic Youth with Anxiety Disorders

Authors

Rebecca L Greenberg
Andrew G Guzick
Sophie C Schneider
Saira A Weinzimmer
Minjee Kook
Amanda B Perozo Garcia
Eric A Storch

Publication Date

12-1-2023

Journal

Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics

DOI

10.1097/DBP.0000000000001223

PMID

38019467

PMCID

PMC10873531

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

12-1-2024

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Author MSS

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Child, Adolescent, Humans, Autistic Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Anxiety, Emotions, depression, anxiety, autism, children, cognitive-behavioral therapy

Abstract

Objective: Anxiety and depression often coexist in youth and share overlapping symptomatology; however, little is known about the comorbidity of anxiety and depression in autistic youth. This study explores (1) the frequency of depressive symptoms among autistic children with clinically significant anxiety, (2) clinical variables that may be associated with elevated depressive symptoms, and (3) whether pretreatment depressive symptoms predict cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) outcomes for anxiety.

Method: Children aged 7 to 13 years (N = 87) and their parents participated in a randomized controlled trial comparing 2 versions of a parent-led, telehealth-delivered CBT program. Parents and children completed a variety of clinical assessments and self-report questionnaires before and after treatment.

Results: Fifty-seven percent of the child sample reported experiencing elevated depressive symptoms while roughly 20% of parents reported elevated depressive symptoms in their child. A strong association between anxiety and depression was found. Heightened feelings of loneliness, per child report, and functional impairment, per parent report, were found to be uniquely associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Finally, depressive symptoms were not a significant predictor of CBT outcomes for anxiety.

Conclusion: Findings suggest high degrees of comorbidity between anxiety and depression among autistic children and that feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and functional impairment may be early indicators of mood-related concerns. Further research is needed to determine the full extent of the association between anxiety and depression and additional options for treating depression in autistic children.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04111874.