Emotion Control Predicts Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Boys With and Without an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Marieke G N Bos, Sofia Diamantopoulou, Lex Stockmann and 2 others
PMID 29512017WHAT IT FOUND
In boys aged 9 to 15, higher worry and repetitive negative thinking predicted more disruptive behavior 18 months later, especially in boys with ASD.
More anger, fear, and sadness predicted anxiety and somatic complaints.
Key findings
01At baseline, boys with ASD who had higher worry/rumination showed more disruptive behavior 18 months later; this relation was not significant for typically developing boys.
02Over time, increases in worry/rumination were related to increases in disruptive behavior and anxiety symptoms.
03Higher baseline negative emotionality predicted more anxiety and somatic complaints at follow-up.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The ASD group was limited to high-functioning boys without co-occurring DSM-IV diagnoses, so the findings may not apply to boys with more severe or complex problem behavior. During the study, boys with ASD and their parents received psychoeducation on ASD, which may have affected symptom trajectories. Attrition was reported: 9 participants at wave 2 and 26 at wave 3, with attrition rates of 7.1% and 16.8%. Emotion control, depression, and somatic complaints were self-reported, while anxiety and disruptive behavior were parent-reported, and informant agreement may be modest. Each construct was measured with one questionnaire, so the results may reflect measurement error.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the predictive findings as proof that an intervention targeting worry/rumination will improve behavior. The study measured associations over time and did not test treatment.