Definition/operationalization Of Key Constructs
In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, anxiety was defined as either clinically significant/elevated symptoms of anxiety or a clinical diagnosis of any specific anxiety disorder or OCDFootnote Footnote 1). Most studies present panic disorder and agoraphobia as a single estimate, but in cases where they are presented separately, the highest rate of the two was included. This was to reduce the chances of them being double coded due to high comorbidity, given that most articles did not specify levels of multiple comorbidities in their samples .
For depression, we only included cases which were above recommended clinical cut-off scores on validated questionnaires or where a professional/clinical diagnosis of major depression was given. As an example, for the most commonly used questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory , a cut-off score of 20 or 24, depending on the version, or at least depression in the moderate range would be required. For all other questionnaires used, their specific published cut-offs as applied by the original authors were used.
Differences With Social And Emotional Reciprocity
Autistic people with differences in social and emotional reciprocity may, for example, struggle to initiate or respond to communication, finding it difficult to participate in its typical back-and-forth nature. They may also face challenges in speaking about non-preferred topics.
People used to think it was an inability to empathize that lead to this. However, newer research has changed how we think about autism and empathy. It is almost the opposite, where autistic people may even be hyper empathetic.
It is just that their experiences and neurotypes are different. There is not a lack of empathy, simply another way of understanding and processing it. For example, autistic people may isolate themselves, but it is not because they prefer to be alone. Instead, it could be because they may feel they are annoying or causing trouble for others.
Anxiety And Depression In Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review And Meta
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 September 2018
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Jian Wei Lerh
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Iliana Magiati
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Richard Meiser-Stedman
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Traolach S Brugha
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- *
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What Are The Different Stages Of Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Level 1: Individuals who may need minimal support in the development and maintenance of appropriate daily living, self-care, behavior management and social skills. Maladaptive behaviors for those with a level-1 diagnosis may be minimal and non-disruptive to their daily routine or others.
- Level 2: Individuals who may need more support to develop communication, social, play, daily living, self-care and behavior management skills. Maladaptive behaviors for those with a level-2 diagnosis may be more severe and interfere with their and others daily routine.
- âLevel 3: Individuals who need extensive support to develop communication, social, play, daily living, self-care and behavior management skills. Maladaptive behaviors for those with a level-3 diagnosis may be severe to include increased aggression or self-injurious behaviors. Skill deficits for a level-3 diagnosis will also be greatly increased.
Causes Of Depression In Adults With Autism
Disorders such as depression develop from a combination of environmental and genetic factors.
However, researchers are still unsure of the role that autism plays in the mix.
Research shows that unaffected siblings of people with autism , and half-siblings , face a 40% increased risk of depression compared to the general population. This suggests that family factors play a role, including household environment and genes. The researchers also found that those with autism are 2.5 times more likely to have depression compared to their neurotypical siblings. This shows that something is likely occurring beyond genetic and family household factors.
Researchers are trying to discover what places individuals with autism at a higher risk.
Some believe the genetic makeup of an individual with autism contributes, whereas others lean more towards social problems and bullying.
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Coping With Asperger’s And Depression
If you have both Asperger’s and symptoms of depression, the best course of action is to receive treatment from a professional. However, if you want to manage symptoms of depression on your own as well, doing things such as eating healthy food, getting regular exercise, and practicing mindfulness can help. These types of coping strategies can also be implemented during therapy to ensure that you are optimally supported.
The Connection Between Autism & Depression
Autism is a developmental disorder that involves issues with socialization, communication, and ritualistic and repetitive behaviors. Depression is a mood disorder characterized by feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and isolation.
People with autism are more likely to struggle with depression than neurotypical individuals. When autism and depression co-occur, it is referred to as comorbid disorders.
There are a variety of reasons that someone with autism may be more prone to also suffer from depression, including:
- Genetic factors. Both autism and depression are potentially heritable disorders.
- Social and personal isolation. Autism can make it tough for people to communicate and socialize effectively, which can lead to loneliness as well as difficulties forming and maintaining friendships.
- Bullying. Children and teens with autism can often be mistreated, leading to feelings of negative self-worth.
- Repetitive thoughts and actions. People with autism engage in ritualized behaviors, which can lead to pervasive negative thoughts and emotions and a tendency to dwell on them.
- Low self-esteem. Frustration with educational and academic abilities and challenges, as well as a recognition of being different from peers, can contribute to negative views of oneself.
Another major risk for comorbid depression and autism is self-harm. People with these co-occurring disorders have an increased rate of suicide and suicidal thoughts compared to the general population.
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Strategies To Address Depression
The treatments used to treat depression in individuals with autism are similar to those used in the general population. Some slight modification may be needed to account for differences in thinking, communication, or behavior.
- Psychotherapy Specifically, modified cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown effective to treat depression in people who also have autism spectrum disorder. CBT and other psychotherapies can help address rumination and other thought processes related to depression.
- Medication Antidepressant medications are most useful when combined with some form of therapy. Research shows that medication alone may be less effective than other treatments. More research is needed into the possible effects and side effects of depression medication in individuals with autism.
- Combination of Psychotherapy and MedicationResearch has shown that a combination of medication and psychotherapy is among the more effective treatments for depression.
Researchers are still investigating how these strategies and treatments can be modified to better support individuals with autism and depression. Work with your clinician to identify strategies and treatment options.
Supporting Mental Health In Autistic Children
There are several things you can do to help protect your childâs mental health and lower their risk for depression. Preventing depression by safeguarding mental health is important for children with autism.
Early intervention for autism is paramount. The earlier a child is diagnosed and starts treatment, the more likely they are to develop healthy coping skills and habits for socializing and communicating more effectively.
Early treatment for autism can help to improve communication and socialization skills, which can minimize social and personal isolation. This helps an autistic child to better understand and express their thoughts and feelings, thus lowering the risk for anxiety and depression.
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Living With Adult Autism Tip : Improve Communication And Relationships
If other people have a hard time reading and understanding youand you themyoull likely have difficulty with relationships. But you can still find ways to nurture a healthy social life.
Consider disclosing your diagnosis. Talking about your diagnosis can be difficult and the social stigma attached to ASD may make you shy away from doing so. While disclosure is entirely up to you and your comfort level, it may help improve some relationships. Letting close friends and family know about your diagnosis can help them understand why you have a hard time interpreting their sarcastic comments, for example, or why youre distressed by sounds that seem normal to everyone else.
Note when youre experiencing sensory overload. Perhaps you find it difficult to keep up with everything thats going on in an intense group conversation. Or maybe something as simple as loud traffic or a barking dog is bothering you. Do what you can to minimize distractions. This might involve switching rooms or leaving a larger group for a one-on-one chat.
Look for common ground with the person youre talking to. Establishing commonalities can lead to more relaxed and enjoyable conversations. If you have similar hobbies, thats, of course, great news. Otherwise, you can look for other things you both like or dislike. This could be anything from a shared interest in cars to a shared dislike for loud noises.
Support groups for adults with autism
Evaluating The Quality Of Included Studies
Our analysis of study quality revealed overall poor quality. Most prominent with regard to prevalence is the reliance on clinic samples and little data available on how representative study participants are of adults with ASD more generally. These results can be seen in online Supplementary Materials 1 and indicate that there are few studies which have clearly taken measures to reduce selection and detection bias.
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Is It Depression Or Autism
The symptoms of depression may be harder to recognize in people on the spectrum. Sometimes thats because high-profile problems such as aggression and self-injury draw doctors attention away from depression and anxiety, according to some researchers.3
Other times the signs of depression may be mistaken for autism itself. Although depression and autism are very different, some symptoms may be found in both conditions, explains Rowan University psychologist Katherine Gotham, PhD, who researches autism and depression. Those overlapping traits include sleep problems, trouble concentrating, and having an emotionless facial expression and monotone voice.4-6
A lack of interest in socializing is another symptom found in both autism and depression. If you have someone who seems to be less interested in social things, asks Gotham, is that because they have autism, or is that because they are a person with autism whos depressed?
And sometimes, symptoms of depression may differ from textbook examples. Rather than looking tired and sad, a depressed person who has autism may be irritable or agitated, or have emotional outbursts, according to research.3,5,7
Unfortunately, there are no lab tests or scans for depression. Doctors typically rely on a patients ability to describe his feelings. Thats a heavy burden for people whose autism impairs their ability to communicate through words, facial expressions, and body language.
Autism Symptoms And Criteria
Autism is broadly characterized by persistent challenges in social communication and social interaction, as well as the presence of repetitive behaviors. Full diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder are outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder . During an evaluation, clinicians look for significant challenges in the following domains to determine whether an adult is on the autism spectrum. These behaviors must be present during development, and they must cause significant impairment in functioning to warrant a diagnosis:
1. Deficits in Social Communication and Social Interaction
Social emotional reciprocity refers to the back-and-forth interaction that takes place with another person during social interactions and conversations. Naturally, clinicians evaluate different behaviors in adults and children.
Non-verbal communication is another way of saying body language. Clinicians evaluate the use and integration of gestures, facial expression, and other body parts in communication. Lack of eye contact while communicating is one common behavior observed in individuals on the autism spectrum. Clinicians also evaluate a persons ability to understand non-verbal communication in others.
2. Repetitive Behaviors
Clinicians look for restrictive, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities that are maintained across the following four categories only two categories need to be present for a diagnosis:
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Hobbies And Special Interests
Individuals with autism tend to have specific topics and activities they enjoy, sometimes even obsessing over. Finding ways to incorporate these interests into games, events, and conversations can take their mind off anxious thoughts. Likewise, when we enjoy conversations with others, its a bonding experience, helping with feelings of loneliness and isolation.
How Do I Find Out More
We have written a self-help book for depressed autistic adolescents and adults with the intention of saving lives. The above information is taken directly from one of the book chapters. Subsequent chapters outline a 10-Step Programme for recovery from depression. The programme is best undertaken with a Mentor who could be a health professional such as a counsellor or clinical psychologist, or a parent, partner or family friend.
Exploring Depression, and Beating the Blues: A CBT Self-Help Guide to Understanding and Coping with Depression in Aspergers Syndrome by Tony Attwood and Michelle Garnett, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Web: www.jkp.com
If you are a Professional who works with adults, we highly recommend attending our upcoming event which may be attended live in Sydney or via webcast: Masterclass: Diagnosis and Therapy for Autistic Adults.
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Depression In Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder
A comprehensive new analysis of past and current research found that 40 percent of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder are depressed or have been depressed at some point in their lifetime. Depression is the most frequent condition that coexists with ASD. Having ASD means you are four times more likely to experience depression than you would if you were an average adult in the U.S.
These are alarming statistics. Oddly, however, depression is not typically thought of as a common feature of Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults. A few minutes of reflection, however, makes the connection between the two apparent.
The Application Of Adlerian Psychotherapy For An Adult With High Functioning Autism And Depression
Hom Yi Lee1,2
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1Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan?2Department of Pediatrics, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taiwan
Correspondence: Hom-Yi Lee, Professor, Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Chung Shan Medical University No. 110, Sec.1, Jianguo N. Rd., Taichung City 40201, Taiwan
Received: September 25, 2017 | Published: November 7, 2017
Citation: Hom-Yi L The Application of Adlerian Psychotherapy for an Adult With High Functioning Autism and Depression. J Psychol Clin Psychiatry 8: 00483. DOI: 10.15406/jpcpy.2017.08.00483
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Women With Autism And Depression
December 28, 2020 by Dr. Tasha Oswald
Welcome back to our two-part blog series on autism and depression. Women on the autism spectrum frequently experience depression. This is largely due to the loneliness that comes from feeling like they dont fit in or belong with other girls or women their age. After a while, they internalize this pain and begin to think that theres something wrong with them and thats why they dont fit in.
Women who are on the autism spectrum often are misdiagnosed or diagnosed later in life because they are so good at masking their autism traits. Often, autism traits and meltdowns look similar to the symptoms of other mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, ADHD, and Oppositional defiant disorder . So the underlying autism is missed or passed off as other mental health issues. Many women with autism state that theyve been prescribed psychiatric medication for these concerns only to find them ultimately unhelpful, which leads to further confusion and disappointment. Many women share that this misdiagnosis simply solidified the fact that no one really understood how they felt. This led them to feel very alone which ultimately led to depression.
Common symptoms of depression in women include:
- Persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness
- Negativity or pessimism
- Physical discomfort: pain, digestive issues, and headaches
- Thoughts of death, self-harm, or suicide attempts*
Diagnosing Depression In Autistic Individuals
- bullying, depression, diagnosis, research, risk factors, special interests, suicide, Summer 2022 Issue
This is the first of two articles about depression in people with autism. Part 2 is The Art and Science of Treating Depression in Autism.
This article discusses topics that may be upsetting to some people. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free, confidential support 24/7 at 1 273-8255 and by online chat.
As a young child with autism, Ben had trouble putting his feelings into words, except when he was angry. In one of those moments, he told his mother he didnt want to live. She took him to mental health providers while he was growing up. But they focused on treating him for anxiety, rather than depression.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted college and just about everything else for Ben, who is now 20. I had a really off day, in combination with everything else that was piling up, recalls Ben, a participant in the SPARK autism study. He made an attempt on his life. Only then did he receive a formal diagnosis of, and treatment for, major depression.
He is not alone. People who have autism are four times more likely to experience depression during their lifetime than the general population, according to a 2019 analysis of many studies. About 40 percent of autistic adults, and 8 percent of youth, have had depression, according to that analysis.1
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