Medical and Behavioral Correlates of Depression History in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Background Depression is a common psychiatric problem associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across the lifespan. Objective We sought to identify medical and behavioral problems associated with a history of a parent reported diagnosis of depression in a large sample of school-aged children and adolescents with ASD. Methods A sample of 1272 participants (age 6–17 years, M=9.56, SD=2.79) from the Autism Speaks-Autism Treatment Network (AS-ATN) consortium was divided into “Ever-Depressed” (n=89) and “Non-Depressed” (n=1183) groups based on caregiver endorsement of children’s current or previous diagnoses of depression. Results 7.0% of children with ASD (4.8% of those aged 6–12 and 20.2% of those aged 13–17) were reported to have a history of a depression diagnosis. Positive depression history was associated with greater chronological age, higher IQ, and Asperger’s Disorder diagnosis. After controlling for age, IQ, and DSM-IV ASD diagnostic subtype, the Ever-Depressed group exhibited significantly greater rates of seizure disorders (OR= 2.64) and gastrointestinal problems (OR=2.59), and trend level differences in aggression, somatic complaints, and social impairments. The groups did not differ in autism severity, repetitive and compulsive behaviors, sleep problems, eating problems, self-injurious behavior, or use of behavior, social, or educational interventions or therapies. Conclusions Co-occurring depression is a particularly common problem in higher-functioning, older children within the AS-ATN. Our findings indicate that children with ASD who have a parent reported history of a depression diagnosis are more likely to also have co-occurring medical problems, although the presence and direction of causality is unclear.

Gastrointestinal and Psychiatric Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Moving forward, conclusions from our analyses and others [e.g., ( 24 , 25 , 27 )] regarding the links between psychiatric and GI comorbidities among individuals with ASD would be strengthened by use of longitudinal data that could inform questions of causality and the direction of effects between symptoms. Our findings are consistent with interpretations positing a causal influence such that the presence of GI symptoms are associated with increased likelihood of mental health symptoms, either as a result of ongoing physical discomfort and/or as a behavioral expression of that discomfort.…”

“…As early as preschool age, children with ASD with significant GI symptoms demonstrate higher levels of internalizing, aggressive, and repetitive behavior, with positive correlations between GI and behavioral symptoms ( 24 ). Among older children and adolescents with ASD, increased GI symptoms appear to be associated with general affective problems ( 25 ), as well as with more specific psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety ( 26 ), depression ( 27 ), irritability ( 26 ), and self-injurious behavior ( 28 ). Thus, links between GI and psychiatric concerns span both internalizing and externalizing spectrums.…”

Association of Rigid-Compulsive Behavior with Functional Constipation in Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are four-fold more prevalent in ASD than in the general population, with constipation as the most commonly reported symptom (Aldinger et al, 2015; Doshi-Velez et al, 2014; Greenlee et al, 2016; Kohane et al, 2012; Viscidi et al, 2014). The largest prospective study of GI disorders in ASD found that functional constipation was more common in children who were minimally verbal (Gorrindo et al, 2012).…”

Evidence Based Treatments of Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…ASD 아동 및 청소년이 적어도 하나 이상의 다른 정신장애를 가질 확률은 약 78.7%로 보고되며 (Mannion, Leader, & Healy, 2013) 이 는 추후 발달에 부정적인 영향을 미치므로 추가적으로 이에 맞는 적절한 치료가 제공되어야 한다 (Leyfer et al, 2006;Mattila et al, 2010 (Stewart, Barnard, Pearson, Hasan, & O'Brien, 2006). 이는 정상발달군에 비해 높은 유병률 (Strang et al, 2012)로 연령이 증가할수록, 기능 수준이 높 을수록 취약한 것으로 나타났다 (Greenlee, Mosley, Shui, Veenstra-VanderWeele, & Gotham, 2016;Mazurek & Kanne, 2010).…”