Anxiety and Depression in Children with HFASDs: Symptom Levels and Source Differences

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to: (1) examine symptom levels of anxiety and depression in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs) compared with matched control children using child self-reports and parent ratings; and (2) examine source differences within the two condition groups. An overall multivariate effect indicated significantly elevated depression and anxiety symptoms for children with HFASDs based on parent reports; however no significant between-group differences based on child self-reports. Within-condition source comparisons (parent vs. child) revealed a significant multivariate effect indicating a significant difference in symptoms of depression and anxiety for the HFASD group but none for the control. Correlations between parent and child reports for the HFASD group suggested some positive association between child-reports and parent-reports for depressive symptoms only; however, the difference in average scores reflected a substantial discrepancy in the magnitude of symptoms by rater. Implications for clinical assessment and future research are provided.

Investigating emotional impairments in adults with autism spectrum disorders and the broader autism phenotype

“…Additional concerns over the accuracy of self-report in individuals with ASD should also be considered, as exemplified by previous (conflicting) reports of disagreement between the number of symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders endorsed by parents, teachers and those with ASD (e.g., Hurtig et al, 2009;Lopata et al, 2010;Mazefsky et al, 2010). To this end, it is particularly reassuring that self-report measures of the traits that were assessed in the present study are associated with performance and neuroimaging measures in ASD samples.…”

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Children With High-Functioning Autism: A Meta-analysis

“…Thus, parent ratings commonly reveal greater levels of anxiety in children with ASD than child selfreports. 63,64 Alternatively, children may indeed perceive treatments as less helpful than their parents do. In the latter case, it is possible that CBT improves behaviors such as avoidance, a change that parents may interpret as reduction of anxiety but to a lesser extent than the subjective experience of distress that is reflected in self-report.…”

An investigation of anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

“…Even among individuals with functional language skills, children and adolescents with ASD have difficulty with emotional insight and expression (Ben Shalom et al, 2006). Therefore, the use of parent-report for the assessment of anxiety and other psychiatric symptoms has been recommended by researchers (Lopata et al, 2010 separation anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social phobia being the most commonly diagnosed forms of anxiety within this population (Evans et al, 2005;Matson & Love, 1990;White et al, 2009). This may be achieved by selecting an anxiety measure with subscales for the different forms of anxiety disorders.…”