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The Role of Co-Occurring Disruptive Behavior in the Clinical Presentation of Children and Adolescents with Anxiety in the Context of Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

This study explored the impact of disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) comorbidity on theoretically relevant correlates among 87 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and clinically significant anxiety. Relative to youth with ASD and anxiety alone, participants with ASD, anxiety, and DBD: (a) presented with significantly more severe anxiety symptoms per clinician-, parent-, and self-report; (b) were more likely to be prescribed antipsychotic medication but were no more likely to receive additional psychosocial and educational interventions; and (c) experienced significantly greater functional impairment and family interference. These results suggest that co-occurring DBD in the context of ASD and anxiety confers greater risk for heightened symptom severity and functional impairment, and may be linked with increased prescription of antipsychotic medication.

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Acknowledgments

The contributions of Sarah Gunderson, Lindsay Brauer, Joshua Nadeau, Robert Selles, and Danielle Ung are acknowledged. This paper was supported by grants from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to the first, fifth, and sixth authors (5R34HD065274-02), and grants to the first author from the All Children’s Hospital Research Foundation and the University of South Florida Office of Research and Innovation Established Researcher Grant Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Rothman Center for Neuropsychiatry, University of South Florida, 800 6th Street South, 4th Floor North, Box 7523, 33701, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch, Elysse B. Arnold, Anna M. Jones, Chelsea M. Ale, Adam B. Lewin, P. Jane Mutch & Tanya K. Murphy

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch, Adam B. Lewin & Tanya K. Murphy

  3. Department of Educational Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Jeffrey J. Wood

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA

    Jill Ehrenreich-May

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  1. Eric A. Storch
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Correspondence to Eric A. Storch.

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Storch, E.A., Arnold, E.B., Jones, A.M. et al. The Role of Co-Occurring Disruptive Behavior in the Clinical Presentation of Children and Adolescents with Anxiety in the Context of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 43, 734–746 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-012-0294-1

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