The role of the broader autism phenotype in anxiety and depression in college-aged adults

Examining the Relationship Between Parental Broader Autism Phenotype Traits, Offspring Autism, and Parental Mental Health

Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP) traits may be present in parents of children on the autism spectrum. However, the prevalence and impact of these traits on parental mental health is poorly understood. We explore BAP traits and its relationship to mental health in 228 fathers and 261 mothers from a sample of 266 scholars from the EPINED study (Spain) grouped as follows: non-autism (N = 122), autism traits (N = 93: 38 subthreshold autism and 55 autism symptoms) and autism (N = 51). BAP rates were higher in fathers (36.9%) than in mothers (26.1%). Moreover, BAP was significantly more frequent in fathers of autistic children (52.3%) than in fathers of children without autistic traits (28.0%), with no differences between autistic conditions groups. Mothers of autistic children exhibited higher psychological distress (36.0%) than mothers of comparison group (19.2%). Fathers with BAP obtained significantly higher scores in emotional problems than fathers without BAP. Multivariate analyses showed that, fathers' emotional problems were associated with their BAP traits, whereas in mothers they were associated with having a child with autism as well as the child's emotional dysregulation. Identifying BAP in parents of autistic conditions children can help professionals to provide specific strategies for improving the well-being of children and parents.

The mediating role of emotional regulation and emotional expression in the relationship between autistic traits and empathy in Saudi students

The aim was to investigate the mediating role of emotional regulation and emotional expression in the relationship between autistic traits and empathy in Saudi students. Participants were undergraduate students at Umm Al-Qura University. A total of 398 questionnaires were sent out, and 260 valid questionnaires were received. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted on the variables hypothesized in the study; on this basis, the structural process model modeling method was used to examine the impact of autistic trait empathy after controlling for factors unrelated to age and gender. This study investigated the relationship between empathy, emotional expression, cognitive reappraisal, and autistic traits in Saudi students. A statistical analysis to test the posited hypotheses was undertaken using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 26. Key descriptive statistics were undertaken using the software, making it possible to study the distributions of successive measured variables. The results found that autistic traits can directly and negatively predict empathy, and also through negative emotional expression and cognitive reappraisal can indirectly predict empathy, and can even predict empathy through the chain mediation of negative emotional expression and positive emotional expression to cognitive reappraisal. However, autistic traits did not predict empathy through positive emotional expression.

Exploring the Associations between Autistic Traits, Sleep Quality and Well-Being in University Students: A Narrative Review

While research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been growing, not enough research has been conducted to understand the impact of autistic traits and the broader autism phenotype (BAP), especially on the sleep quality and well-being of university students. The focus of this paper is to review the existing research on this topic and identify the key areas of interest for future research, presented in the form of a narrative review. While the review identifies the need for research on the topic, it also identifies other factors such as gender, age, culture, and internet and smartphone use that may have an impact on the relationship between autistic traits, sleep quality and well-being in university students. The review also identified the importance of using a larger sample size, appropriate measures, especially for quantifying autistic traits, and an appropriate analysis strategy involving a multivariate analysis.

The Broad Autism Phenotype-International Test (BAP-IT): A two-domain-based test for the assessment of the broad autism phenotype

LAY ABSTRACT

The broad autism phenotype refers to a group of behaviors related to autism spectrum disorder, but that appear to a lesser extent. Its assessment has been performed through outdated broad autism phenotype/autism spectrum disorder definitions and tests. To address this problem, this study presents the development of a new test, the Broad Autism Phenotype-International Test, a 20-item measure consisting of two dimensions, SOCIAL-BAP and RIRE-BAP, targeting the two-domain operationalization of autism spectrum disorder in Spain and the United Kingdom. Unlike the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire, this test received empirical support as a quick and effective broad autism phenotype measure that can facilitate both broad autism phenotype/autism spectrum disorder research and interventions. This is the first step to studying the BAP in several Spanish and English-speaking countries.