scholarly journals The perceived casual relations between sensory reactivity differences and anxiety symptoms in autistic adults

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Verhulst ◽  
Keren MacLennan ◽  
Anthony Haffey ◽  
Teresa Tavassoli
Keyword(s):  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Causal Relations ◽  
Sensory Reactivity ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Diagnostic Criterion ◽  
Sensory Hyperreactivity

Rates of anxiety are inordinately high in autistic adults. Sensory reactivity differences, such as hyperreactivity (e.g., strong reactions to sound), hyporeactivity (e.g., no, or slower reactions to pain), and seeking (e.g., fascination with spinning objects) are a diagnostic criterion of autism and have been linked with anxiety. Understanding how individuals perceive these to be causally related can impact assessment and treatment of anxiety. Therefore, we examined the perceived causal relations between sensory reactivity differences and anxiety in autistic adults.246 autistic adults aged 18 – 76 years took part in an online study. They completed self-report assessments of sensory reactivity differences, and anxiety, followed by the perceived causal relations scale; indicating if they perceived their sensory reactivity differences to be more of a cause or an effect of their anxiety symptoms.Sensory reactivity differences were found to be significantly related to anxiety. Furthermore, total sensory hyperreactivity and visual, auditory, and olfactory hyperreactivity was perceived to be more of a cause of anxiety, whilst total sensory seeking and tactile and vestibular seeking was perceived to be more of an effect of anxiety. Therefore, sensory hyperreactivity and sensory seeking may be important to consider in anxiety treatments for autistic individuals.

scholarly journals In Our Own Words: The Complex Sensory Experiences of Autistic Adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. MacLennan ◽  
S. O’Brien ◽  
T. Tavassoli
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Sensory Reactivity ◽  
Sensory Experiences ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Sensory Hyperreactivity

AbstractAutistic adults commonly experience sensory reactivity differences. Sensory hyperreactivity is frequently researched, whilst hyporeactivity and seeking, and experiences across domains, e.g., vision, are often neglected. Therefore, we aimed to understand more about the sensory experiences of autistic adults. We conducted a mixed-methods study, co-produced with stakeholders; recruiting 49 autistic adults who completed an online survey. Firstly, quantitative results and content analysis enhanced our understanding of sensory input/contexts associated with sensory hyperreactivity, hyporeactivity, and seeking across modalities. Secondly, thematic analysis developed themes relating to ‘Outcomes’, ‘Control’, ‘Tolerance and management’, and ‘The role of other people’, informing a theoretical model of sensory reactivity differences in autistic adults. These findings have implications for support services and improving quality of life for autistic adults.

scholarly journals In our own words: The complex sensory experiences of autistic adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren MacLennan ◽  
Sarah O'Brien ◽  
Teresa Tavassoli
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Sensory Reactivity ◽  
Sensory Experiences ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Sensory Hyperreactivity

Sensory reactivity differences are commonly experienced by autistic adults. Sensory hyperreactivity is frequently researched, whilst sensory hyporeactivity and seeking, and experiences across domains, e.g., vision or touch, are often neglected. Therefore, our online qualitative study, co-produced with stakeholders, aimed to understand more about the sensory experiences in a large sample of 49 autistic adults. Firstly, content analysis identified sensory input and contexts associated with sensory reactivity differences across modalities. Secondly, using thematic analysis we developed themes relating to ‘Outcomes’, ‘Control’, ‘Tolerance and management’, and ‘The role of other people’, which informed a theoretical model of sensory reactivity differences in autistic adults. Our study has important implications for support services and improving quality of life for autistic adults.

The Stereotype Threat Effect

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Insa Happach ◽  
Karla Spirandelli ◽  
Tania M. Lincoln ◽  
Fabrice Berna
Keyword(s):  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Neuropsychological Performance ◽  
Neurocognitive Deficits ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Threat Effect ◽  
Efficacy Expectations ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Neurocognitive deficits in patients with mental disorders are partially due to secondary influences. “Stereotype threat” denotes the phenomenon that performance is compromised when a participant is confronted with a devaluing stereotype. The present study examined the impact of stereotype threat on neuropsychological performance in schizophrenia. Seventy-seven participants with a self-reported diagnosis of schizophrenia were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition involving stereotype threat activation or a control condition in an online study. Participants completed memory and attention tests as well as questionnaires on motivation, self-efficacy expectations, cognitive complaints, and self-stigmatization. Contrary to our prediction, the two groups showed no significant differences regarding neuropsychological performance and self-report measures. Limitations, such as a possibly too weak threat cue, are discussed and recommendations for future studies are outlined.

Camouflaging in non-autistic adults is associated with poorer mental health

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Somerville ◽  
Sarah E. MacPherson ◽  
Sue Fletcher-Watson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
The Relationship

Camouflaging is a frequently reported behaviour in autistic people, which entails the use of strategies to compensate for and mask autistic traits in social situations. Camouflaging is associated with poor mental health in autistic people. This study examined the manifestation of camouflaging in a non-autistic sample, examining the relationship between autistic traits, camouflaging, and mental health. In addition, the role of executive functions as a mechanism underpinning camouflaging was explored. Sixty-three non-autistic adults completed standardised self-report questionnaires which measured: autistic traits, mental health symptoms, and camouflaging behaviours. In addition, a subset (n=51) completed three tests of executive function measuring inhibition, working memory, and set-shifting. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyse data. Results indicated that autistic traits are not associated with mental health symptoms when controlling for camouflaging, and camouflaging predicted increased mental health symptoms. Camouflaging did not correlate with any measure of executive function. These findings have implications for understanding the relationship between autistic traits and mental health in non-autistic people and add to the growing development of theory and knowledge about the mechanism and effects of camouflaging.

Cross-Study, Cross-Method Associations Between Negative Urgency and Internalizing Symptoms

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112098388
Author(s):  
Kevin M. King ◽  
Max A. Halvorson ◽  
Kevin S. Kuehn ◽  
Madison C. Feil ◽  
Liliana J. Lengua
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Ecological Momentary Assessment ◽  
Internalizing Symptoms ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Negative Emotionality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Negative Urgency ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
Momentary Assessment

There is a small body of research that has connected individual differences in negative urgency, the tendency to report rash actions in response to negative emotions, with self-report depressive and anxiety symptoms. Despite the conceptual overlap of negative urgency with negative emotionality, the tendency to experience frequent and intense negative emotions, even fewer studies have examined whether the association of negative urgency with internalizing symptoms hold when controlling for negative emotionality. In the current study, we estimated the bivariate association between negative urgency and internalizing symptoms, tested whether they remained significant after partialling out negative emotionality, and tested whether these effects generalized to real-time experiences of negative emotions. We used data from five independent samples of high school and college students, assessed with global self-report ( n = 1,297) and ecological momentary assessment ( n = 195). Results indicated that in global self-report data, negative urgency was moderately and positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms, and the partial association with depressive symptoms (but not anxiety symptoms) controlling for negative emotionality remained significant and moderate in magnitude. This pattern was replicated in ecological momentary assessment data. Negative urgency may convey risk for depressive symptoms, independent of the effects of negative emotionality.

Repetitive Thought in Psychopathology: The Relation of Rumination and Worry to Depression and Anxiety Symptoms

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E. Hughes ◽  
Lauren B. Alloy ◽  
Alex Cogswell
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Cognitive Content ◽  
Future Outlook ◽  
Repetitive Thought ◽  
Partial Correlations ◽  
Secondary Analyses ◽  
Looming Maladaptive Style

The relation between repetitive thought and depression and anxiety symptoms was examined in an undergraduate sample. Individuals completed self-report measures of rumination, worry, depression, and anxiety as well as other related constructs including private self-consciousness, looming maladaptive style, cognitive style, cognitive content, and future outlook. Regression analyses and tests for significant differences between partial correlations were utilized to assess the study hypotheses. The results indicated that rumination and worry overlap in their association with depression and anxiety symptoms, and that rumination may be an especially important component of this overlap. Secondary analyses demonstrated that rumination and worry are two distinct constructs, as their patterns of associations with related constructs were different.

scholarly journals The relationship between sensory reactivity, intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety subtypes in preschool-age autistic children

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110161
Author(s):  
Keren MacLennan ◽  
Timothy Rossow ◽  
Teresa Tavassoli
Keyword(s):  
Separation Anxiety ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Sensory Reactivity ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Development Of Anxiety ◽  
Sensory Hyperreactivity

Sensory reactivity differences are a diagnostic criterion of autism. Sensory hyperreactivity has been linked to intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety in autistic children. However, research is yet to explore the mediating relationships or sensory hyporeactivity, seeking and anxiety subtypes in preschool-age autistic children. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the relationships between sensory reactivity, intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety subtypes in a heterogeneous group of 54 preschool-age autistic children, age 3–5 years, using observation and parent-report assessments. Correlational analysis found sensory hyperreactivity, intolerance of uncertainty and total anxiety were significantly intercorrelated. In addition, sensory hyperreactivity was significantly correlated with separation anxiety when controlling for autism traits. Serial mediation analyses indicated significant full mediation between sensory hyperreactivity and anxiety through intolerance of uncertainty, and significant full mediation between sensory hyperreactivity and intolerance of uncertainty through anxiety. Our results suggest that sensory hyperreactivity is a key early factor in the development of anxiety, and supports that intolerance of uncertainty is an important interrelated construct in the development and maintenance of anxiety in autism. Our findings have important implications for the development of effective interventions. However, due to limitations with the measures, our research also highlights a pressing need for objective assessments of anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty that can be used with preschool-age autistic children. Lay abstract This study found links between greater sensory hyperreactivity (e.g., over-sensitive to sensory input), intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety, including separation anxiety, in autistic pre-schoolers. Sensory hyperreactivity may predict both anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty, and anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty may both be mutually important, mediating factors. These findings have implications for early anxiety interventions. But there is a pressing need for objective assessments that can be used with preschool-age autistic children.

scholarly journals How Well Does Subjective Cognitive Decline Correspond to Objectively Measured Cognitive Decline? Assessment of 10–12 Year Change

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Gustavson ◽  
Amy J. Jak ◽  
Jeremy A. Elman ◽  
Matthew S. Panizzon ◽  
Carol E. Franz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽  
Continuous Measure ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Objective Prior

Background: Although not strongly correlated with current objective cognitive ability, subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Most studies focus on SCD in relation to future decline rather than objective prior decline that it purportedly measures. Objective: We evaluated whether self-report of cognitive decline—as a continuous measure—corresponds to objectively-assessed episodic memory and executive function decline across the same period. Methods: 1,170 men completed the Everyday Cognition Questionnaire (ECog) at mean age 68 assessing subjective changes in cognitive ability relative to 10 years prior. A subset had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), but MCI was diagnosed without regard to subjective decline. Participants completed up to 3 objective assessments of memory and executive function (M = 56, 62, and 68 years). Informant-reported ECogs were completed for 1,045 individuals. Analyses controlled for depression and anxiety symptoms assessed at mean age 68. Results: Participant-reported ECog scores were modestly associated with objective decline for memory (β= –0.23, 95%CI [–0.37, –0.10]) and executive function (β= –0.19, 95%CI [–0.33, –0.05]) over the same time period. However, these associations were nonsignificant after excluding MCI cases. Results were similar for informant ratings. Participant-rated ECog scores were more strongly associated with concurrent depression and anxiety symptoms, (β= 0.44, 95%CI [0.36, 0.53]). Conclusion: Continuous SCD scores are correlated with prior objective cognitive changes in non-demented individuals, though this association appears driven by individuals with current MCI. However, participants’ current depression and anxiety ratings tend to be strongly associated with their SCD ratings. Thus, what primarily drives SCD ratings remains unclear.

scholarly journals Informant Personality Is Associated With Ratings of Memory Problems in Older Adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 479-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Buchanan ◽  
Catherine Loveday
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Personality Questionnaire ◽  
Online Study ◽  
Memory Complaints ◽  
Memory Problems ◽  
Scale Reliability ◽  
Memory Measure ◽  
Diagnostic Criterion

Memory complaints are a key diagnostic criterion for dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Rating scales can be used to capture information about individuals’ memory problems from informants such as family members. However, problems with scale reliability suggest that individual differences influence the ratings informants provide. This project tested whether informants’ neuroticism was associated with their ratings of an older adult’s memory. In an online study, 293 volunteers completed a Five-Factor Personality Questionnaire and used 2 memory questionnaires to provide ratings of memory problems in an older individual they knew well. Rater neuroticism correlated positively with estimates of memory problems: More neurotic informants provided higher estimates of memory difficulties in the person they were rating. A second study replicated this finding with 786 volunteers and another widely used memory measure, the AD8. In both studies, exploratory analyses suggested the effect size was large enough to impact on clinical practice.

scholarly journals Emotion regulation therapy for cancer caregivers—an open trial of a mechanism-targeted approach to addressing caregiver distress

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison J Applebaum ◽  
Aliza A Panjwani ◽  
Kara Buda ◽  
Mia S O’Toole ◽  
Michael A Hoyt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Open Trial ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Central Feature ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Clinically Significant

Abstract Informal caregivers (ICs) are integral to care provided to patients facing life-threatening or incurable illnesses. This responsibility causes considerable burden, as approximately one half of ICs report clinically significant symptoms of depression and/or anxiety that persist when left untreated. Psychosocial interventions containing efficacious treatment principles (e.g., cognitive behavior therapy [CBT]) show disappointing results in reducing anxiety and depression in ICs. This may reflect failure of these interventions to specifically target crucial mechanisms underlying the central feature of distress caused by the patient’s illness—notably, perseverative negative thinking (PNT). Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT) is an efficacious CBT developed to explicitly target mechanisms underlying PNT and the emotional concomitants that arise in response to stressful situations. This open trial was conducted to evaluate the acceptability and initial efficacy of ERT adapted to the experience of cancer ICs (ERT-C). Thirty-one ICs provided informed consent and completed eight weekly individual sessions of ERT-C. Participants completed self-report measures of depression and anxiety symptoms, PNT, emotion regulation deficits, and caregiver burden before and after treatment. ERT-C was well tolerated as indicated by 22 treatment completers and feedback provided in exit interviews. ICs demonstrated reduced depression and anxiety symptoms, PNT, and emotion regulation deficits with moderate to large effect sizes (Hedge’s g range: 0.36–0.92). Notably, caregiver burden was not reduced but ICs expressed more ability to confront caregiving-related challenges. Findings offer promising but preliminary support for ERT-C as a conceptual model and treatment modality for distressed cancer ICs.

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