The spectrum of attitudes towards the spectrum of autism and its relationship to psychological distress in mothers of children with autism

Examination of emotional distress, depression, and anxiety in neurodiverse students: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Neurodiverse students frequently encounter distinct challenges that can adversely affect their mental well-being. This research aimed to investigate emotional distress, depression, and anxiety among neurodiverse students, examine the interrelationships among these factors, and assess the impact of participant characteristics.

AIM

To address the problem of lack of data pointed out in the neurodiversity research in Nigeria, this study aims to examine the emotional distress, depression, and anxiety in neurodiverse students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 200 neurodiverse students in Nigeria. Participants filled out self-report questionnaires that measured emotional distress (Brief Emotional Distress Scale for Youth), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised), and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, Bayesian Mann-Whitney U tests, two-way ANOVAs, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

RESULTS

Anxiety was found to have the highest prevalence (mean = 68.8), followed by depression (mean = 34.2) and emotional distress (mean = 26.3). Significant positive correlations were identified among all three mental health factors, with the strongest correlation observed between depression and anxiety (rho = 0.492, P < 0.001). Moderate evidence indicated gender differences in emotional distress (BF₁₀ = 2.448). The interaction between educational environment and diagnosis had a significant effect on emotional distress (F = 3.106, P = 0.017). Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated significant variations in anxiety levels across different educational settings (P = 0.002), although post-hoc comparisons did not reveal significant differences among specific settings.

CONCLUSION

This research emphasizes the prevalence of mental health challenges among neurodiverse students, particularly concerning anxiety. The intricate relationships among emotional distress, depression, and anxiety highlight the necessity for thorough mental health support. The impact of educational settings and diagnoses on mental health outcomes stresses the importance of customized interventions. These findings are significant for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers in formulating targeted support strategies for neurodiverse students.

Community-guided, autism-adapted group cognitive behavioral therapy for depression in autistic youth (CBT-DAY): Preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy

LAY ABSTRACT

Depression in youth is a significant public health problem worldwide, particularly for autistic youth who are over twice as likely to experience depression than their non-autistic peers. Although pathways to depression are complex, emotional reactivity and negative self-esteem are two risk factors for depression in autistic and non-autistic youth. Although autistic youth are more likely to experience depression than their non-autistic peers, psychotherapy options for autistic youth are very limited; community guidance in the development and testing of psychotherapy programs is a promising approach in autism. Therefore, in this study, we designed an autism-adapted CBT-DAY, in collaboration with autistic community members. Specifically, CBT-DAY combined neurodiversity-affirming and cognitive behavioral approaches to target emotional reactivity and self-esteem in youth to improve depressive symptom severity in a group setting across 12 weeks. We examined the preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of CBT-DAY in a pilot non-randomized trial. In addition, we implemented a rigorous protocol for assessing, monitoring, and addressing potential harms in this intervention. Results from 24 autistic youth (11-17 years old) suggest that CBT-DAY may be feasible to use in an outpatient clinical setting and generally acceptable to youth and their caregivers. Participation in CBT-DAY may be associated with significant improvements in youth emotional reactivity and self-esteem, as well as depressive symptom severity per self-report only. Exploratory analyses showed that participation in CBT-DAY may also be associated with significant improvements in internalizing symptoms. Findings demonstrate the potential promise of neurodiversity-affirming and cognitive behavioral approaches to treating depressive symptoms in some autistic youth.

Looking through rainbow-rimmed glasses: Taking neurodiversity perspective is related to subjective well-being of autistic adults

Finding new ways of supporting the well-being of autistic adults is an essential goal for research and practice. We tested the predictive value of attitudes towards autism (as neurodiversity or as a disorder) and identification with other autistic people, on the psychological distress and self-esteem of autistic adults ( n = 109). Adopting a neurodiversity attitude not only predicted higher self-esteem but also served as a protective factor against the negative impact of identification with other autistic people on psychological distress. These findings show that clinicians should be sensitive to the way autistic people understand autism and the extent to which they identify with the autism community, as these factors relate to their well-being.

Lay abstract

Autistic adults experience a high level of distress. Finding new ways to support their well-being is an important goal for researchers and clinicians. We assessed the way autistic adults view their autism, as a disorder or as a type of mind (neurodiversity), and the level they integrate with other autistic people, and we checked how those factors contribute to their well-being. People who see autism rather as a type of mind than as a disorder had higher self-esteem. People who view themselves as more similar to other autistic people felt more stressed, but this result was not accurate for people who view autism as a type of mind. Clinicians should be sensitive to the way autistic people understand autism and to what extent they identify with the autism community, because it may relate to their well-being.