Menezes Michelle, Rutten Megan, Anderson Sydney, Linde Jordan, Ibrahim Karim, Sukhodolsky Denis G
Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA.
University of Hartford, Hartford, CT, USA.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2024 Aug 14. doi: 10.1007/s10803-024-06505-0.
Although affective irritability is a common and concerning problem for autistic youth, limited research has examined relations among core autism characteristics and irritability. Therefore, this study investigated potential associations among types of restricted/repetitive behaviors (RRBs) and social communication challenges and irritability in autistic children and adolescents. Participants were 107 autistic youth recruited from a university-based autism clinical research program. Two hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted with Affective Reactivity Index as the dependent variable. Covariates were entered at step 1, followed by the independent variables of interest at step 2. For the first model, independent variables of interest were Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised subscales: stereotyped behavior, self-injurious behavior, compulsive behavior, ritualistic behavior, sameness behavior, and restricted behavior. For the second model, independent variables of interest were Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition subscales: social awareness, social cognitive, social communication, and social motivation. Irritability was significantly associated with several categories of RRBs (i.e., insistence on sameness, stereotypic behavior, and restricted interests/activities). Nonetheless, irritability was not associated with categories of social communication and interaction challenges in autistic youth. Results from this study indicated differing associations between core autism characteristics and affective irritability. Findings highlight the importance of differentiating types of restricted, repetitive behaviors and social communication and interaction challenges in conceptualizing mental health concerns in autistic youth.
尽管情感易激惹是自闭症青少年常见且令人担忧的问题，但针对自闭症核心特征与易激惹之间关系的研究却很有限。因此，本研究调查了自闭症儿童和青少年中受限/重复行为（RRBs）类型、社交沟通挑战与易激惹之间的潜在关联。研究参与者是从一个大学自闭症临床研究项目中招募的107名自闭症青少年。以情感反应指数作为因变量进行了两次分层多元回归分析。协变量在第1步输入，随后在第2步输入感兴趣的自变量。对于第一个模型，感兴趣的自变量是重复行为量表修订版的子量表：刻板行为、自伤行为、强迫行为、仪式行为、固执行为和受限行为。对于第二个模型，感兴趣的自变量是社会反应量表第二版的子量表：社会意识、社会认知、社会沟通和社会动机。易激惹与几类RRBs（即固执、刻板行为和受限兴趣/活动）显著相关。然而，易激惹与自闭症青少年的社交沟通和互动挑战类别无关。本研究结果表明自闭症核心特征与情感易激惹之间存在不同的关联。研究结果凸显了在概念化自闭症青少年心理健康问题时区分受限、重复行为类型以及社交沟通和互动挑战的重要性。
