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De Jesus Cintron K, Yang X. Neuroticism Mediates the Association between Autistic Traits and Choice Reaction Time among Young Adults. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:903. [PMID: 39457775 PMCID: PMC11504915 DOI: 10.3390/bs14100903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2024] [Revised: 09/24/2024] [Accepted: 10/04/2024] [Indexed: 10/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that influences an individual's cognitive functions and social interaction. While most studies have focused on children and adolescents diagnosed with ASD, elevated levels of autistic traits in subclinical populations may also influence individuals' daily functioning. Autistic traits are also linked to the Big Five personality. In particular, neuroticism (emotion instability) has been shown to be positively associated with autistic traits, which may contribute to behavioral symptoms of autistic traits. The present study aimed to investigate the association between autistic symptoms and sensorimotor processing among a subclinical population. One hundred young adults (Mage = 20.32 years; SD = 3.69 years; 69 female) completed a choice reaction time (RT) task, and their behavioral performance was analyzed using the ex-Gaussian modeling. The Autism Quotient (AQ) and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) were used to assess autistic traits and neuroticism, respectively. The mediation analysis was conducted to examine the behavioral mechanism through which autistic traits influence sensorimotor processing. The results showed that the AQ score was negatively correlated with RT and positively correlated with neuroticism score. Importantly, the mediation analysis indicated an indirect effect, suggesting that neuroticism mediates the association between the AQ score and RT. The findings indicated a possible mechanism of the association between autistic traits and sensorimotor responses and suggested that neuroticism should be included as an intervention target for ASD. The present study contributes to the research on autistic traits and has practical implications for future intervention programs to improve daily functioning among individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiao Yang
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, 346G Mills Godwin Life Sciences Building, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA
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Huda E, Hawker P, Cibralic S, John JR, Hussain A, Diaz AM, Eapen V. Screening tools for autism in culturally and linguistically diverse paediatric populations: a systematic review. BMC Pediatr 2024; 24:610. [PMID: 39342198 PMCID: PMC11437884 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-024-05067-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has varying prevalence rates worldwide, often higher in culturally diverse populations. Cultural differences can affect autism symptom recognition. Language barriers and differing healthcare attitudes may delay diagnosis and intervention. Most autism screening tools were developed in Western, predominantly Caucasian populations, and their appropriateness in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) contexts remains uncertain. There is a lack of comprehensive data on the accuracy of these tools in identifying autism in culturally and linguistically diverse groups. Consequently, it is unclear whether current screening tools are culturally sensitive and appropriate. METHODS A research protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022367308). A comprehensive search of literature published from inception to October 2022 was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Medline Complete, Scopus, PsychInfo and CINAHL Complete. The articles were screened using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extracted included participant demographics, screening tool psychometric properties (validity, reliability, accuracy) and acceptability. A narrative synthesis approach was used. RESULTS From the initial retrieval of 2310 citations, 51 articles were included for analysis. The studies were conducted in 32 different countries with screening tools in the following languages: Chinese, Spanish, Korean, Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Persian, Serbian, Italian, French, Sinhala, Taiwanese, Finnish, Northern Soho, Albanian, German, Japanese, Vietnamese, Farsi, Greek and English. There was no data on acceptability of the screening tools in CALD populations. Validity, reliability, and accuracy ranged from poor to excellent with consistently high performance by screening tools devised within the populations they are intended for. CONCLUSIONS The review evaluated autism screening tools in culturally diverse populations, with a focus on validity, reliability, and acceptability. It highlighted variations in the effectiveness of these tools across different cultures, with high performance by tools devised specifically for the intended population, emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive screening tools. Further research is needed to improve culturally specific, reliable autism screening tools for equitable assessment and intervention in diverse communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmee Huda
- Department of General Paediatrics, Queensland Children's Hospital, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101, Australia
| | - Patrick Hawker
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia
| | - Sara Cibralic
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - James Rufus John
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Aniqa Hussain
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Antonio Mendoza Diaz
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia
- Tasmanian Centre for Mental Health Service Innovation, Tasmanian Health Service, Hobart, TAS, 7000, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 1466, Australia.
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District and Ingham Institute, Sydney, Australia.
- ICAMHS, L1 MHC,, Liverpool Hospital, Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2170, Australia.
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Chee ZJ, Scheeren AM, De Vries M. The factor structure and measurement invariance of the Autism Spectrum Quotient-28: A cross-cultural comparison between Malaysia and the Netherlands. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:32-42. [PMID: 36632803 PMCID: PMC10771022 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221147395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT The AQ-28 is a questionnaire measuring autistic traits, that is, traits that are related to Autism Spectrum Conditions, but its reliability in other cultures has not been thoroughly evaluated. We, therefore, tested whether the properties of the AQ-28 are comparable between two countries with different cultures, Malaysia and the Netherlands. A total of 437 Malaysian and 818 Dutch participants completed the AQ-28 online. We measured whether the AQ-28 measures autistic traits similarly in Malaysia and the Netherlands. The AQ-28 measures autistic traits similarly, and the reliability was acceptable and good in the general population of Malaysia and the Netherlands, respectively. However, Malaysians scored higher than Dutch participants. Moreover, 11 AQ-28 items showed cultural bias, indicating that these items are answered/interpreted differently in Malaysia and the Netherlands. Cross-cultural differences in interpreting, reporting, and/or expressing autistic traits highlighted in this study could potentially explain why some items are culturally biased and why Malaysians score higher on these items. The findings of this work imply that cutoff scores derived from one culture should not be generalised to another culture. Moreover, the findings are informative for future development of culturally neutral or appropriate screening and diagnostic tools for autism.
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Chen HB, Warrington R, Mandy W, Yang F, Tang Y, Yang JJ, Li A, Lin YQ, Xu MZ, Jia FJ, Hou CL. Validation of the developmental, dimensional and diagnostic interview -short version (3Di-sv) for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in Chinese children. Asian J Psychiatr 2023; 88:103733. [PMID: 37597345 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric features of the Chinese version of the developmental dimensional diagnostic interview-short version (3Di-sv). A total sample of 138 children including 79 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 59 typically developing children completed the 3Di-sv interview. The Chinese version of the 3Di-sv has a good internal consistency (0.94). Test-retest analysis confirmed the instrument's time stability (0.89). The instrument's concurrent validity with the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and clinical diagnosis was verified; the correlation between total scores was 0.72, 0.82 and 0.90, respectively. The 3Di-sv significantly distinguished between autistic children and non-autistic children in every area of autism symptoms. Optimal cutoffs were derived using receiver operating characteristics curves. Using clinical diagnosis as criterion, overall sensitivity was 98 % and specificity was 90 %. The study determined that the Chinese version of 3Di-sv can well distinguish autistic children from typically developing children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Bei Chen
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China; Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Richard Warrington
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL, London, UK
| | - William Mandy
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Fan Yang
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Yi Tang
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Jing-Jing Yang
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Ai Li
- Shantou University Mental Health Center, Shantou, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Yong-Qiang Lin
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Ming-Zhi Xu
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Fu-Jun Jia
- Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China
| | - Cai-Lan Hou
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China; Guangdong Mental Health Center, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, PR China.
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Hussain A, John JR, Dissanayake C, Frost G, Girdler S, Karlov L, Masi A, Alach T, Eapen V. Sociocultural factors associated with detection of autism among culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:415. [PMID: 37612588 PMCID: PMC10463473 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04236-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The age at which parents or caregivers first develop concerns about their child's development has significant implications on formal diagnosis and intervention. This study aims to determine the sociocultural factors that are associated with the age and type of first concern reported by parents of autistic children among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Australia. We also assessed whether sociocultural factors predict autism traits measured in terms of social affect (SA), restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRB), and calibrated severity scores (CSS). METHODS This study is a secondary data analysis of the data collected from six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres (ASELCCs) as part of the Autism Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) program between 2015 and 2019. Data analysed in this study included a family history questionnaire with sociodemographic and sociocultural information, parent-reported age and type of first concern, and clinician/researcher administered Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule - Second Edition (ADOS-2) which includes standardised domain-wise scores of social affect (SA) and restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRB) as well as calibrated severity scores (CSS), a measure of severity of autism. Primary analysis included multivariable linear regression models to examine the predictive influence of sociodemographic and sociocultural factors on the dependant variables of age of concern (AOC) and the autism traits (SA, RRB, and CSS). RESULTS The mean AOC in the sample was 18.18 months and the most common concerns were speech/language delay, limited social interaction, and hyperactivity/behavioural changes. The multivariable linear regression models showed factors such as increase in age of child, those from a CALD background, annual family income, sibling's autism diagnosis, and developmental concerns to be significantly associated with parental AOC. Additionally, we also found that increase in child's age and CALD status to be significant predictors of autism trait (RRB) and severity measured in terms of the CSS score. Further, females (compared to males) were associated with higher difficulties with social communication and interaction skills. CONCLUSION Understanding key factors that contribute to early identification of autism can help tailor awareness programs for parents and caregivers, whilst also informing the development of services focused on serving all CALD communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniqa Hussain
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James Rufus John
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
| | - Cheryl Dissanayake
- School of Psychology and Public Health, Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Grace Frost
- Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centre, Prospect, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sonya Girdler
- School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Lisa Karlov
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Anne Masi
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Tasha Alach
- Director of Therapy and Clinical Services, Autism Association of Western Australia Inc, Subiaco, WA, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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Eapen V, Karlov L, John JR, Beneytez C, Grimes PZ, Kang YQ, Mardare I, Minca DG, Voicu L, Malek KA, Ramkumar A, Stefanik K, Gyori M, Volgyesi-Molnar M. Quality of life in parents of autistic children: A transcultural perspective. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1022094. [PMID: 36910746 PMCID: PMC9996029 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1022094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The concepts of health, illness, and disability as well as the perceptions of autism and quality of life (QoL) vary greatly across cultures and across time. This study sought to explore the interplay of culture on QoL and impact on parents caring for autistic children. Methods We used a transcultural dataset from seven countries (Australia, Hungary, Malaysia, Romania, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom) with participating parents/carers reporting on the Quality of Life in Autism (QoLA) questionnaire. The QoLA questionnaire is a validated measure of QoL for parents of autistic children, with Part A subscale measuring parental QoL and part B subscale assessing the parental impact of the child's autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms or features. We used the Quade's ranked analysis of covariance to determine significant differences between the countries in relation to QoLA Part A and Part B scores while adjusting for baseline differences using covariates such as parents' gender, child's age, and gender. Additionally, a post-hoc analysis with Bonferroni correction was also conducted to examine multiple pairwise comparisons. Results and conclusion We found that while the effect of features of ASD (Part B subscale) stayed strongly comparable between cultures, the self-reported parental QoL was most likely determined by different aspects of culture in different countries. It is concluded that while the ASD symptoms or features appear to affect parents in the same way across different countries, the parental QoL may be a culturally informed construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valsamma Eapen
- Discipline of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Lisa Karlov
- Discipline of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James Rufus John
- Discipline of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Carmen Beneytez
- Equipo Especifico Alteraciones Graves del Desarrollo, Consejería de Educación de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Poppy Z. Grimes
- Swalcliffe Park School CIO, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ying Qi Kang
- Department of Paediatrics, Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children’s Medical Institute (KTP-NUCMI), National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ileana Mardare
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Dana Galieta Minca
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Laura Voicu
- Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Khasnur Abd Malek
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sungai Buloh, Malaysia
| | - Aishworiya Ramkumar
- Department of Paediatrics, Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children’s Medical Institute (KTP-NUCMI), National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Krisztina Stefanik
- Institute of Special Needs Education for People with Atypical Behavior and Cognition, ELTE University Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
- HAS-ELTE ‘Autism in Education’ Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Miklos Gyori
- HAS-ELTE ‘Autism in Education’ Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute for the Psychology of Special Needs, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marta Volgyesi-Molnar
- HAS-ELTE ‘Autism in Education’ Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute for the Psychology of Special Needs, ELTE University, Budapest, Hungary
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