Brief Report: Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms among Autistic Adults

Radoeva, Petya D.; Ballinger, Kristen; Ho, Theodore; Webb, Sara J.; Stobbe, Gary A.

doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05085-7

Brief Report
Published: 29 June 2021

Brief Report: Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms among Autistic Adults

Petya D. Radoeva ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-9714-9570^1,2,
Kristen Ballinger³,
Theodore Ho⁴,
Sara J. Webb^4,5 &
Gary A. Stobbe^4,6,7

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 52, pages 2819–2824 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Autistic individuals are at risk for developing depression though the risk and protective factors for co-occurring depression in autistic individuals are not yet fully characterized. In this retrospective medical chart review study, we explored factors associated with self-reported depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) in autistic adults (N = 58). For autistic adults, engagement in one or more activities (recreational, educational and/or vocational) was associated with less severe depressive symptoms (Mann–Whitney U test, p = 0.006); and reported family history of depression/anxiety was associated with increased likelihood of suicidal ideation (Chi-square test, p = 0.027). Promotion of community-based activities and family support systems may be an integral part of creating effective treatment plans for depressive symptoms in autistic adults.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank the autistic adults and their families who have utilized the University of Washington Adult Autism Clinic. Preliminary results from this study were presented in a poster at the 2018 International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting. This work was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health Research Education Grant No. R25 MH104159 (Principal Investigator: Dr. John F. Neumaier). Final stages of manuscript preparation were completed by PDR during the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Brown University. The authors would like to thank Dr. Daniel P. Dickstein for helpful feedback on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
Petya D. Radoeva
Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA
Petya D. Radoeva
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
Kristen Ballinger
Seattle Children’s Autism Center, Seattle, WA, USA
Theodore Ho, Sara J. Webb & Gary A. Stobbe
Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, USA
Sara J. Webb
Adult Autism Clinic, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
Gary A. Stobbe
Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
Gary A. Stobbe

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Petya D. Radoeva
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Kristen Ballinger
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Theodore Ho
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Sara J. Webb
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Gary A. Stobbe
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Contributions

PDR: Study conception; data abstraction and analysis; initial manuscript draft and manuscript revision; final approval. KB: Data abstraction and analysis; manuscript revision; final approval. TH: Study conception; literature review and writing; manuscript revision; final approval. SJW: Study conception; manuscript revision; final approval. GAS: Study conception; manuscript revision; final approval.

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Correspondence to Petya D. Radoeva.

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Radoeva, P.D., Ballinger, K., Ho, T. et al. Brief Report: Risk and Protective Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms among Autistic Adults. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 2819–2824 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05085-7

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Accepted: 13 May 2021
Published: 29 June 2021
Issue Date: June 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05085-7

Keywords

Autism spectrum disorder
Depression
Adulthood
Community activities
PHQ-9