Teixeira Maria Cristina Triguero Veloz, Lowenthal Rosane, Rattazzi Alexia, Cukier Sebastian, Valdez Daniel, Garcia Ricardo, Candela Gabriela Garrido, Murillo Analia Rosoli, Leite Francislene Pereira da Silva, Pinheiro Giuliana, Woodcock Kate, Chung Justin Cheuk Yin, Mevorach Carmel, Montiel-Nava Cecilia, Paula Cristiane Silvestre
Developmental Sciences Graduate Program, Center for Research on Childhood and Adolescence, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, São Paulo 01302-907, SP, Brazil.
Department of Mental Health, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences, São Paulo 01224-001, SP, Brazil.
Brain Sci. 2024 Oct 8;14(10):1010. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14101010.
One of the behavioral problems strongly associated with emotional dysregulation (ED) in ASD is emotional outbursts (EOs) characterized by a pattern of challenging behavior that varies across individuals and across time. Cultural factors can modulate the expression of EOs. This study aimed to characterize the profile of emotional outbursts (EOs) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across various countries in Latin America and to identify clinical, emotional, and contextual factors that contribute to the onset and frequency of EOs within this diverse sample.
A cross-sectional and cross-cultural study was conducted between 2023 and 2024 comprising samples from five countries in the Latin American Network for Autism-REAL: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic. We studied 689 children with ASD (age x = 8.7 ± 2.6 years) using the Emotional Outburst Questionnaire (EOQ).
We identified different types of EO among children with ASD in our sample. The most frequent was the 'behavioral indicators of emotion' (52.0%) followed by 'increased motor activity' (28.3%), 'non-speech vocalizations', (27.6%), 'mild verbal aggression' (23.8%), and 'avoidance' (21.5%). Children in a bad mood or having a bad day or experiencing irritability were the most significant factors that increased the likelihood of EOs.
Our results revealed that irritability is an important trigger for EOs and should not be disregarded or underestimated when monitoring the mental health of children with ASD.
与自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）中的情绪失调（ED）密切相关的行为问题之一是情绪爆发（EOs），其特征是具有挑战性的行为模式，且因个体和时间而异。文化因素可调节情绪爆发的表现。本研究旨在描述拉丁美洲各国自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童的情绪爆发特征，并确定在这个多样化样本中导致情绪爆发的发生和频率的临床、情绪和背景因素。
2023年至2024年进行了一项横断面和跨文化研究，样本来自拉丁美洲自闭症研究网络REAL的五个国家：阿根廷、巴西、智利、乌拉圭和多米尼加共和国。我们使用情绪爆发问卷（EOQ）对689名自闭症谱系障碍儿童（年龄x = 8.7 ± 2.6岁）进行了研究。
我们在样本中的自闭症谱系障碍儿童中识别出了不同类型的情绪爆发。最常见的是“情绪的行为指标”（52.0%），其次是“运动活动增加”（28.3%）、“非言语发声”（27.6%）、“轻度言语攻击”（23.8%）和“回避”（21.5%）。心情不好、度过糟糕的一天或感到烦躁的儿童是增加情绪爆发可能性的最重要因素。
我们的结果表明，烦躁是情绪爆发的一个重要触发因素，在监测自闭症谱系障碍儿童的心理健康时不应被忽视或低估。
