Universität zu Köln

Bloch, Carola ORCID: 0000-0002-5234-0336, Burghof, Lana, Lehnhardt, Fritz-Georg, Vogeley, Kai ORCID: 0000-0002-5891-5831 and Falter-Wagner, Christine (2021). Alexithymia traits outweigh autism traits in the explanation of depression in adults with autism. Sci Rep, 11 (1). BERLIN: NATURE RESEARCH. ISSN 2045-2322

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Abstract

When contemplating the alarming depression rates in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a need to find factors explaining heightened symptoms of depression. Beyond the impact of autism traits, markedly increased levels of alexithymia traits should be considered as a candidate for explaining why individuals with ASD report higher levels of depressive symptoms. Here, we aim to identify the extent to which autism or alexithymia traits indicate depressive symptoms in ASD and whether the pattern of association are specific to ASD. Data of a large (N=400) representative clinical population of adults referred to autism diagnostics have been investigated and split by cases with a confirmed ASD diagnosis (N=281) and cases with a ruled out ASD diagnosis (N=119). Dominance analysis revealed the alexithymia factor, difficulties in identifying feelings, as the strongest predictor for depressive symptomatology in ASD, outweighing autism traits and other alexithymia factors. This pattern of prediction was not specific to ASD and was shared by clinical controls from the referral population with a ruled out ASD diagnosis. Thus, the association of alexithymia traits with depression is not unique to ASD and may constitute a general psychopathological mechanism in clinical samples.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Bloch, Carola UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5234-0336 UNSPECIFIED Burghof, Lana UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Lehnhardt, Fritz-Georg UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Vogeley, Kai UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5891-5831 UNSPECIFIED Falter-Wagner, Christine UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-585159
DOI:	10.1038/s41598-021-81696-5
Journal or Publication Title:	Sci Rep
Volume:	11
Number:	1
Date:	2021
Publisher:	NATURE RESEARCH
Place of Publication:	BERLIN
ISSN:	2045-2322
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES; FUNCTIONING AUTISM; LINEAR-REGRESSION; SCALE; HETEROSCEDASTICITY; POPULATION; PREVALENCE; CHILDREN; PARENTS; SUICIDE Multiple languages Multidisciplinary Sciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/58515