To read this content please select one of the options below:

Overlap of anxiety, depression, irritability and aggressiveness in autism spectrum disorder: an exploratory study using cluster analysis

Francois A.M. Jean (Centre Hospitalier de Calais, Calais Cedex, France)
Ali Jouni (Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France)
Manuel P. Bouvard (Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France)
Guillaume Camelot (Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France)
Anita Beggiato (Robert-Debré Mother-Child University Hospital, Paris, France)
Isabelle Scheid (Universite Paris-Est Creteil Val de Marne, Creteil, France)
Alexandru Gaman (Universite Paris-Est Creteil Val de Marne, Creteil, France)
Celine Bouquet (Roche, Basel, Switzerland)
Myryam Ly-Le Moal (Institut Roche, Boulogne-Billancourt, France)
Josselin Houenou (Universite Paris-Est Creteil Val de Marne, Creteil, France)
Richard Delorme (Robert-Debré Mother-Child University Hospital, Paris, France)
Marion Leboyer (Universite Paris-Est Creteil Val de Marne, Creteil, France)
Anouck Amestoy (Centre Hospitalier Charles Perrens, Bordeaux, France)

Advances in Autism

ISSN: 2056-3868

Article publication date: 27 September 2021

Issue publication date: 13 October 2022

227

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the overlap between symptoms of depression, anxiety, irritability and aggressiveness in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), to measure specific and idiosyncratic emotional responses.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 42 high functioning adolescents and adults, between 12 and 39 years old, meeting the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders – 5 criteria for ASD were selected from the InFoR Autism cohort. Data were analyzed in an exploratory way using Hill and Smith and K-medoids cluster analysis.

Findings

The authors found an aggregation of anxiety, depression, aggressive behaviors and irritability. Cluster analysis was maximized for two groups with 17 and 25 participants, respectively. The first group was characterized by high levels of symptoms of irritability, aggressiveness, hyperactivity and intermediate levels of anxiety and depression. In the first group, participants had significantly higher levels of autistic symptoms considering the social responsiveness scale and repetitive behavior scale-revised scales (relatives’ reports) suggesting that a particular group of subjects with a high level of ASD specific symptoms may express anxiety and depression in a specific way based on externalizing behaviors in addition to the common mood and anxiety symptoms.

Research limitations/implications

Improved understanding of the aggregation of externalized symptoms with symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders in ASD should lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms related to emotion dysregulation in ASD.

Practical implications

Improved knowledge of the symptoms could lead to enhanced detection of psychiatric comorbidities in ASD.

Originality/value

The study was based on a transdiagnostic approach of psychiatric symptoms in individuals with ASD. Aggregation and clustering analysis was used to explore naive patterns of these psychiatric symptoms.

Keywords

Citation

Jean, F.A.M., Jouni, A., Bouvard, M.P., Camelot, G., Beggiato, A., Scheid, I., Gaman, A., Bouquet, C., Ly-Le Moal, M., Houenou, J., Delorme, R., Leboyer, M. and Amestoy, A. (2022), "Overlap of anxiety, depression, irritability and aggressiveness in autism spectrum disorder: an exploratory study using cluster analysis", Advances in Autism, Vol. 8 No. 4, pp. 275-293. https://doi.org/10.1108/AIA-08-2020-0048

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles