The relationship between distress tolerance and behavioral activation on anxiety and depression symptomatology in autistic youth: Leveraging self and caregiver perspectives.
Jessica M Schwartzman, Ligia Antezana, Caitlin M Conner
PMID 39105310WHAT IT FOUND
In autistic adolescents, lower distress tolerance and behavioral activation were associated with more severe anxiety and depression.
Sex differences emerged, with adolescents assigned female at birth showing lower distress tolerance and higher anxiety. These findings are cross-sectional and preliminary.
Key findings
01Distress tolerance and behavioral activation were negatively associated with depressive and anxiety symptom severities, meaning lower tolerance and activation linked to more severe symptoms.
02Adolescents assigned female at birth exhibited lower distress tolerance and more severe anxiety symptoms compared to those assigned male at birth.
03Mediation analyses suggested behavioral activation may be more salient for depression pathways, while distress tolerance may be more salient for anxiety pathways, though results varied by reporter.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if low distress tolerance or behavioral activation causes anxiety and depression, or vice versa. The sample was not representative of all autistic adolescents; it included only verbally fluent individuals without intellectual disability who were predominantly White and had access to private psychological services. The measures for distress tolerance and behavioral activation have not been validated specifically in autistic adolescents. The anxiety measure used primarily captured worry and somatic symptoms, which may not fully reflect how anxiety presents in autistic individuals (e.g., avoidance).
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (N.I.H., Extramural). No other conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that improving distress tolerance or behavioral activation will directly reduce anxiety or depression. This study only shows associations at one point in time and cannot prove causation or treatment efficacy.