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Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents with ASD Without Mental Retardation

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Abstract

This study analyzes subclinical psychopathology in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) without mental retardation with no comorbid disorder, assessed by an extensive general psychopathology interview. The K-SADS-PL was administered to a group of 25 patients with ASD (mean age = 12.80 ± 2.86 years) and 25 healthy controls (mean age 12.52 ± 2.86 years). Significant differences were found between patients with ASD and controls for the domains of: depressive disorder, anxiety separation disorder, agoraphobia and specific phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In patients without a comorbid disorder, we found a profile of subclinical disturbances that suggest high risk for comorbid psychiatric conditions derived from the presence of subthreshold symptomatology.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERSAM. Madrid Regional Government (S2010/BMD-2422 AGES) and European Union Structural Funds, Fundación Alicia Koplowitz and ERA-NET NEURON (Network of European Funding for Neuroscience Research).

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Correspondence to Marta Caamaño.

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Caamaño, M., Boada, L., Merchán-Naranjo, J. et al. Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents with ASD Without Mental Retardation. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 2442–2449 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1792-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1792-0

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