Psychopathology in children and adolescents with ASD without mental retardation

This study analyzes subclinical psychopathology in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) without mental retardation with no comorbid disorder, assessed by an extensive general psychopathology interview. The K-SADS-PL was administered to a group of 25 patients with ASD (mean age = 12.80 ± 2.86 years) and 25 healthy controls (mean age 12.52 ± 2.86 years). Significant differences were found between patients with ASD and controls for the domains of: depressive disorder, anxiety separation disorder, agoraphobia and specific phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In patients without a comorbid disorder, we found a profile of subclinical disturbances that suggest high risk for comorbid psychiatric conditions derived from the presence of subthreshold symptomatology.