Social Activities and Depression in Youth with ASD
Research By: Ryan Adams, PhD
Post Date: February 1, 2024 | Publish Date: February 2024
MBHI: Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics | Top Scientific Achievement
Globally, about 1 in 160 children cope with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to the World Health Organization. Many experience significant depression. Feelings of loneliness have been implicated in higher rates of depressive symptoms among adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which implies that more work is needed to ensure that young people with ASD are having their social needs met, according to a study led by corresponding author Ryan Adams, PhD.
This study involved 321 participants from a research registry built by the Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK). Participants completed online measures of social activities, depressive symptoms and loneliness. While specific patterns differed for individual activities, feeling that their needs were met in terms of the frequency of social activities was just as important as the actual amount of time spent in social activities in understanding depressive symptoms. Specifically, those who felt least satisfied with the frequency of activities had higher rates of depressive symptoms.
“Our results highlight the importance of considering the youth’s needs in terms social experiences when addressing loneliness and mental health outcomes in youth with ASD,” Adams says. “When it comes to interventions that aim to improve the social lives of youth with ASD, the current findings suggest that it is critical to consider the needs of the youth when it comes to the amount and types of social experiences that are targeted in such interventions.”
Next steps include improving interventions that enhance the quality of social activities for individuals with ASD and tracking their long-term effects on overall well-being.
Co-authors on this study included experts from the University of California San Francisco and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Explore the 2024 Research Annual Report
| Original title: | Associations between social activities and depressive symptoms in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder: Testing the indirect effects of loneliness |
| Published in: | Autism |
| Publish date: | February 2024 |
Latest Posts
About this blog
The Research Horizons blog features news and insights about the latest discoveries and innovations developed by the scientists of Cincinnati Children's. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter