Are Sensory Processing Features Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Boys with an ASD?

Bitsika, Vicki; Sharpley, Christopher F.; Mills, Richard

doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2569-4

Cited by 30 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 56 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Sensory issues were also identified as triggers, and were again corroborated as a predictor of self-injury in our quantitative analysis. That both alexithymia and sensory disturbances are predictive of self-injury in autistic people is consistent with the prevalence of these features in other self-harming populations, and with the relationship that both alexithymia and sensory differences show with internalizing symptoms and/or mental ill-health in autism [41][42][43][44][45][46]. Alexithymia is higher than average in adolescent selfharmers and is a well-known correlate of self-injury in clinical populations [47][48][49].…”

supporting

confidence: 62%

“…Additionally, it may be that individuals who use NSSI for sensory stimulation are driven more by the correlates or comorbidities of sensory differences rather than the sensory differences per se. Such correlates, in autism, include sociocommunicative abilities, insistence on sameness, cognitive problems and inattention, adaptive behavior, and as previously mentioned, anxiety and other forms of affective difficulties [41][42][43][44][45]. Notably, impulsivity is an intrapersonal factor associated with sensation-seeking through NSSI [73] and with acquired capability for suicide [74], and has indeed been linked to self-injurious behavior [75] and to suicidal acts [25] in autistic children.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Links between self-injury and suicidality in autism

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Autistic individuals without intellectual disability are at heightened risk of self-injury, and appear to engage in it for similar reasons as non-autistic people. A wide divergence of autistic perspectives on self-injury, including those who frame it as a helpful coping mechanism, motivate investigating the link between self-injury, suicide ideation, and attempts which has been reported in typically developing individuals. Method: One hundred three autistic participants completed the Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Assessment Tool (NSSI-AT), the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire (SBQ-R), and the Interpersonal Social Evaluation List (ISEL-12) across two online studies. Logistic regression was conducted to predict self-harming status via responses to questions on suicidality, and to predict whether certain self-injurious behaviors, including cutting, were especially associated with suicide ideation and attempts. Non-parametric correlation analysis examined relationships between suicide ideation/ attempts and other variables that might characterize self-harmers especially at risk of suicidality. These included perceived access to social support, purposes or reasons for self-injury, the number of different self-injurious behaviors engaged in, the duration and lifetime incidence of self-injury, and the individual's feelings about their self-injury. Results: While self-injuring status was significantly predicted by responses to a question on suicide ideation and attempts, there was no relationship between suicide ideation/attempts and a participant's personal feelings about their self-injury. The method of cutting was also predicted by suicide ideation and attempts, though other methods common in autistic people were at borderline significance. Use of self-injury for the regulation of low-energy emotional states like depression, for self-punishment or deterrence from suicide, and for sensory stimulation, was associated with suicide ideation and attempts, as was the number of self-injurious behaviors engaged in. There was no significant relationship between suicide ideation/attempts and the duration and lifetime incidence of self-injury or social support. Conclusions: These preliminary data suggest that while individuals might frame their self-injury as a positive or neutral thing, there remains a concerning relationship between self-injury and suicidality which exists regardless of individual feelings on self-injury. This is consistent with the theoretical perspective that self-injury can be a "gateway" through which individuals acquire capability for lethal suicidal behaviors. The data highlight that particular methods (cutting) and reasons for self-injury may be of significant concern, but this information, which might be of extreme value for clinicians, requires further investigation and validation.

show abstract

supporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Links between self-injury and suicidality in autism

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For example, loss of absorption in a special interest [Clarke et al, 1989;Gillberg, 1985], agitation, change in sleep pattern or social withdrawal [Ghaziuddin, 2005], have all been identified as potentially unique signs of depression in those with ASC. Recent research has also shown associations between sensory sensitivity and depressive symptoms in those with ASC [Serafini et al, 2017;Bitsika, Sharpley, & Mills, 2016]. Adults with ASC without co-morbid intellectual disability also frequently report trying to camouflage their symptoms in an attempt to fit into social situations, at great potential cost to their mental health [Lai et al, 2016;Rynkiewicz et al, 2016].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement properties of tools used to assess depression in adults with and without autism spectrum conditions: A systematic review

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Depression is the most commonly experienced mental health condition in adults with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). However, it is unclear what tools are currently being used to assess depression in ASC, or whether tools need to be adapted for this group. This systematic review therefore aimed to identify tools used to assess depression in adults with and without ASC, and then evaluate these tools for their appropriateness and measurement properties. Medline, PsychINFO and Web of Knowledge were searched for studies of depression in: (a) adults with ASC, without co‐morbid intellectual disability; and (b) adults from the general population without co‐morbid conditions. Articles examining the measurement properties of these tools were then searched for using a methodological filter in PubMed, and the quality of the evidence was evaluated using the COSMIN checklist. Twelve articles were identified which utilized three tools to assess depression in adults with ASC, but only one article which assessed the measurement properties of one of these tools was identified and thus evaluated. Sixty‐four articles were identified which utilized five tools to assess depression in general population adults, and fourteen articles had assessed the measurement properties of these tools. Overall, two tools were found to be robust in their measurement properties in the general population—the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI‐II), and the patient health questionnaire (PHQ‐9). Crucially only one study was identified from the COSMIN search, which showed weak evidence in support of the measurement properties of the BDI‐II in an ASC sample. Implications for effective measurement of depression in ASC are discussed. Autism Res 2018, 11: 738–754. © 2018 The Authors Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Lay SummaryDepression is the most common mental health problem experienced by adults with autism. However, the current study found very limited evidence regarding how useful tools developed for the general population are for adults with autism. We therefore suggest how these tools could be adapted to more effectively assess depression in adults with autism, and improve these individuals access to mental health assessment and support.

show abstract

“…Among children with ADHD, those with sensory sensitivity are more likely to show anxiety than those with ADHD alone or those with TD (Reynolds & Lane, 2009). Conversely, various studies have found that underresponsivity was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in children and adolescents with high functioning autism (Bitsika et al, 2016) and children and adolescents with Asperger's syndrome (Pfeiffer et al, 2005). As children with ASD and ADHD show higher rates of sensory sensitivity and/or anxiety and depression than the general population, it is unclear if the association between such behaviors in these clinical groups is causal.…”

Section: Anxiety and Depressionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Sensory Processing Patterns and Internalizing Behaviors in the Pediatric and Young Adult General Population: A Scoping Review

Kotsiris¹,

Westrick²,

Little³

2020

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: While research has largely focused on the relationship between sensory processing patterns and internalizing behaviors (e.g., anxiety, depression) in children with autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, this relationship is not fully understood among the general population or across development.Method: This scoping review addressed the following research question: How are sensory processing patterns associated with internalizing behaviors (e.g., anxiety, depression) among children with various conditions as well as typically developing children from birth to 22 years of age?Results: Since 2005, n = 97 peer-reviewed articles have addressed this topic and were included in the current review. Overall, findings show a complex interplay between sensory processing patterns, internalizing behaviors, cognitive factors (intolerance of uncertainty, ritualism, cognitive rigidity), and personality characteristics.Discussion: The results of this review showed that research primarily focused on individuals with ASD, and many articles used mediation models to examine complex relationships. Implications for future research are discussed. CommentsThe authors report that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

show abstract

Are Sensory Processing Features Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Boys with an ASD?

Cited by 30 publications

References 56 publications

Links between self-injury and suicidality in autism

Links between self-injury and suicidality in autism

Measurement properties of tools used to assess depression in adults with and without autism spectrum conditions: A systematic review

Sensory Processing Patterns and Internalizing Behaviors in the Pediatric and Young Adult General Population: A Scoping Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About