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Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents with ASD Without Mental Retardation

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 43, pages 2442–2449 (2013)Cite this article

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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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain

    Marta Caamaño, Leticia Boada, Jessica Merchán-Naranjo, Carmen Moreno, Cloe Llorente, Dolores Moreno, Celso Arango & Mara Parellada

  2. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañon, IISGM, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, C/ Ibiza, 43, 28009, Madrid, Spain

    Marta Caamaño, Leticia Boada, Jessica Merchán-Naranjo, Carmen Moreno, Cloe Llorente, Dolores Moreno, Celso Arango & Mara Parellada

  3. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain

    Celso Arango

Authors
  1. Marta Caamaño
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  2. Leticia Boada
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  3. Jessica Merchán-Naranjo
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  4. Carmen Moreno
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  5. Cloe Llorente
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  6. Dolores Moreno
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  7. Celso Arango
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  8. Mara Parellada
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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

Keywords

  • Asperger syndrome
  • Psychopathology
  • Comorbidity
  • Adolescent
  • Developmental disorders