Sensory Overresponsivity, Loneliness, and Anxiety in Taiwanese Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Ya-Cing Syu, Ling-Yi Lin
PMID 30245601WHAT IT FOUND
Higher sensory avoiding was linked to greater anxiety and loneliness in adults with ASD.
Loneliness was linked to both and may help account for the link.
Key findings
01Higher sensory avoiding was associated with greater anxiety and greater loneliness.
02Loneliness was supported as a mediator between sensory avoiding and anxiety.
0377.9% of participants reported moderate or severe anxiety using a cut-off score of 14.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study included only adults with ASD whose IQ was above 70, and the sample had a slightly high percentage of college-educated participants, so it may not represent all adults with ASD. Participants were recruited from local autism groups and organizations, so the sample may not represent the general adult population with ASD. The study was a cross-sectional survey, so it can show associations but cannot show that sensory avoiding causes anxiety or loneliness. The authors state that the findings may not apply to all adults with ASD because ASD is heterogeneous. The analysis looked only at anxiety, loneliness, and sensory processing, not at social support, intimate relationships, depression, or living situation.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest declaration is reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that sensory avoiding causes anxiety or that treating sensory avoiding will reduce anxiety or loneliness. The study measured adults at one time and found links, not cause and effect.