Cognitive processes in autism: Repetitive thinking in autistic versus non-autistic adults

Cooper, Kate; Russell, Ailsa; Calley, Steph; Chen, Huilin; Kramer, Jaxon; Verplanken, Bas

doi:10.1177/13623613211034380

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…In addition, these effect sizes on the maintenance of app-based meditation are larger than those observed in similar anchoringbased habit training interventions among typically developed populations (Stecher, Sullivan, & Huberty, 2021), which suggests that anchoring is both a feasible and effective strategy for promoting health behavior maintenance among autistic adults. This is in line with past research on RRB and the importance of routines for some autistic individuals (Cooper et al, 2022). Furthermore, we observed a larger treatment effect from the App + Habit Training intervention among the participants who reported either an anxiety or depression diagnosis (see Supplemental Table S2), which suggests that this is a feasible and effective intervention for improving mental health among those most in-need of an effective self-care solution.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…First, restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior (RRB) are diagnostic criteria of ASD and in some cases manifest as an insistence on sameness, preference for routines, and ritualized behaviors (Cooper et al, 2022). Although RRB can make it difficult to add a new behavior to a routine, over time, the need to maintain a routine may also facilitate long-term behavior maintenance (Nichols et al, 2019).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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App-based meditation habits maintain reductions in depression symptoms among autistic adults

Stecher,

Pagni,

Cloonan

et al. 2023

Autism

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Mobile app-based meditation is an effective self-care solution for depression, but limited evidence exists for the long-term benefits among autistic adults, who are at increased risk of experiencing depression. The primary goal of this study was to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating habit training into an app-based meditation intervention to maintain reductions in depressive symptoms among autistic adults. Participants were randomized to an App Only (who only received access to the meditation app), App + Habit Training (who received the meditation app and instructions for anchoring their app-based meditation to an existing routine), or a waitlist control group. All participants completed questionnaires at baseline, post-intervention, and 6 months post-intervention, and responded to SMS ecological momentary assessments regarding their meditation practice during the 8-week intervention and an 8-week follow-up period. The results show that the App + Habit Training group reported significantly more days with meditation per week during and after the intervention ( p < 0.05) and also experienced a larger decrease in depression symptoms post-intervention and 6 months later ( p < 0.05) relative to the control group. These findings demonstrate that app-based meditation habits are an effective self-care solution for autistic adults with depression, and anchoring is a promising strategy for establishing other healthy habits among autistic adults. Lay Abstract Existing research has identified an increased risk of depression among autistic adults, which can negatively impact their adaptive functioning abilities and socioeconomic outcomes. Mobile app-based meditation is a feasible, accessible, and effective self-care solution for depression among neurotypical adults, but there is limited evidence for the long-term benefits of app-based meditation among autistic adults. Habits are a key behavioral strategy for maintaining behavior change, and anchoring is one effective habit formation intervention that has yet to be tested among autistic adults. This study demonstrates that it is both feasible and effective to integrate the anchoring habit formation strategy into an app-based meditation intervention for establishing meditation habits among autistic adults. In addition, the study shows that app-based meditation habits were successful at maintaining reductions in depressive symptoms over 6 months. These results demonstrate the power of anchoring-based habit formation interventions for establishing healthy habits among autistic adults, which offers a promising behavioral intervention technique for establishing other healthy habits among autistic adults. The study also shows that app-based meditation habits are an effective long-term self-care solution for managing depressive symptoms among autistic adults that should be used by mental health providers and policymakers. Future research should test this combined anchoring and app-based meditation intervention technique among larger samples of autistic adults and over longer durations to better understand the mechanisms underlying the success of this intervention.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

App-based meditation habits maintain reductions in depression symptoms among autistic adults

Stecher,

Pagni,

Cloonan

et al. 2023

Autism

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“…Moreover, Cooper et al . (2022) stated that anxiety‐focused cognition in autism may drive insistence on sameness behaviours and that the relationship between repetitive cognition and behaviour is complex and warrants further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The intellectual functioning of people with ASD without IDD has not been widely studied, but recent findings highlight the relevance of WISC-V assessment for children with ASD without IDD to individualise intervention, especially remediation (Audras-Torrent et al 2021). Moreover, Cooper et al (2022) stated that anxiety-focused cognition in autism may drive insistence on sameness behaviours and that the relationship between repetitive cognition and behaviour is complex and warrants further investigation.…”

Section: Considerations On the Analyses On Psychopathological And Cog...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive dysfunction and psychopathology: a cohort study of adults with intellectual developmental disorder

Santambrogio,

Bertelli,

Terrevazzi

et al. 2023

J intellect Disabil Res

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BackgroundCognitive impairment of intellectual developmental disorders (IDD) is determined by several different combinations of specific cognitive alterations. People with IDD present a rate of mental health problems that is up to 4 times higher than that of the general population. Despite this, the relationship between specific cognitive dysfunctions and co‐occurring mental disorders has not been adequately studied. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the association between specific cognitive dysfunctions and specific psychiatric symptoms and syndromes in people with IDD.MethodsOne hundred and twenty adults with mild to moderate IDD living in residential facilities underwent a clinical and instrumental assessment for specific cognitive and psychopathological features.ResultsParticipants with IDD and ASD have significantly lower scores compared to those without respect to who has not the diagnosis on the Processing Speed Index (PSI) and Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) on the WAIS‐IV and higher time scores on the TMT A. Moreover, there is a significant association between years of hospitalisation and TMT B and TMT B A time scores; the longer a participant with IDD was hospitalised, the worse their performance on the TMT. Although not statistically significant, many psychopathological clusters showed substantial cognitive profiles.ConclusionsAlthough further research is needed, neuropsychological and IQ tests scores seem to be differently associated to various psychopathological conditions co‐occurring with IDD, and with ASD especially. Cognitive assessment seems to support diagnosis and treatment of psychopathological co‐occurrences in persons with IDD, also in consideration of indirect implications including a better knowledge of the patient's characteristics beyond IQ deficit.

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“…Many autistic individuals will also prefer solitary rather than social activities. Also, repetitive thoughts are also common in autistic individuals (same thought reoccurring), but rigid thoughts do not appear to be higher than non-autistic controls (number of different topics of thought) (Cooper et al ., 2022, p. 856). Both autism and schizoid personality disorder seem to have repetitive and restrictive aspects but there are both similarities and differences in form.…”

Section: The Problem Of Alternative Diagnosesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Diagnosis in Psychiatry and the Distribution of Social Resources

Fellowes

2023

Roy. Inst. Philos. Suppl.

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I suggest that the diagnosis that an individual self-diagnoses with can be influenced by levels of public awareness. Accurate diagnosis requires consideration of multiple diagnoses. Sometimes, different diagnoses can overlap with one another and can only be differentiated in subtle and nuanced ways, but particular diagnoses vary considerably in levels of public awareness. As such, an individual may meet the diagnostic criteria for one diagnosis but self-diagnoses with a different diagnosis because it is better known. I then outline a potential negative consequence of this. Psychiatric diagnoses can grant access to what I call social resources, namely, political advocacy, campaigning for support, participating in scientific research, building diagnostic cultures, and opportunity for social interactions with people who have the same diagnosis. The strength of the social resources for a particular diagnosis can be made stronger when more people have that diagnosis. As such, inaccurate self-diagnosis can result in the social resources for one diagnosis being strengthened whilst not being strengthened in relation to another diagnosis in comparison to accurate diagnosis. This shows how inaccurate self-diagnosis can alter the distribution of social resources. We need to consider whether this is unfair to people who are diagnosed with less well-known conditions.

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Cognitive processes in autism: Repetitive thinking in autistic versus non-autistic adults

Cited by 7 publications

References 34 publications

App-based meditation habits maintain reductions in depression symptoms among autistic adults

App-based meditation habits maintain reductions in depression symptoms among autistic adults

Cognitive dysfunction and psychopathology: a cohort study of adults with intellectual developmental disorder

Self-Diagnosis in Psychiatry and the Distribution of Social Resources

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