Trajectory of depressive symptoms over adolescence in autistic and neurotypical youth.
Blythe A Corbett, Rachael A Muscatello, Trey McGonigle and 3 others
PMID 38698474WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic youth reported higher depression symptoms at age 10 than neurotypical peers, but these symptoms decreased through middle adolescence.
Neurotypical youth started with lower symptoms that rose sharply after age 13. The two groups' symptom levels converged around age 14.
Key findings
01Autistic youth had higher depression scores than neurotypical peers until approximately age 14, after which their scores decreased, while neurotypical scores increased.
02Female participants had higher total depression scores than male participants across both groups.
03The risk of clinically significant depression decreased with age for autistic youth (from 37% at age 10) but increased for neurotypical youth (from 5% to 38% by age 17).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study required an IQ of 70 or higher, excluding autistic individuals with intellectual disabilities. The sample was primarily White (83%) and recruited from the southern United States, limiting generalizability. Attrition was 33%, with autistic participants dropping out at higher rates than neurotypical peers in the first two years. Depression symptoms were self-reported without verification by a clinical interview. The study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced stress and coping mechanisms.
Declared interests
Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that declining self-reported depression scores in autistic adolescents during middle adolescence indicate a resolution of mental health risk. The study authors suggest this decline may be due to factors like treatment, developmental changes, or the dropout of more severely affected participants, rather than an inherent improvement in well-being.