Neuroticism Drives Associations Between Repetitive Behaviors and Depression in Autistic Adults

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Autistic adults experience higher depression rates than neurotypical adults.
• Risk factors for depression in autism are not fully understood.
• Repetitive behaviors, like insistence on sameness (IS) and repetitive sensorimotor (RSM) actions, are characteristic of autism but their link to depression is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between IS and RSM behaviors and depressive symptoms in autistic adults.
• To determine if demographic factors and trait neuroticism confound these associations.
• To explore potential clinical applications for screening and intervention.

Main Methods:

• Bayesian linear regression analysis was used with 762 autistic adults.
• Depressive symptoms (BDI-II scores) were regressed against age, gender, education, RSM scores, and IS scores.
• A second regression model included neuroticism to assess its confounding effect.

Main Results:

• Insistence on sameness (IS) showed a moderate positive association with depressive symptoms.
• Repetitive sensorimotor (RSM) behaviors had a minimal impact on predicting depression.
• Neuroticism demonstrated a strong positive relationship with depression, fully diminishing the effect of IS.

Conclusions:

• Neuroticism is a significant factor in depression among autistic adults, overshadowing the direct impact of IS.
• RSM behaviors were not practically significant predictors of depression, especially when neuroticism was considered.
• Findings suggest leveraging IS screening for depression risk and promoting flexibility to enhance emotional regulation in autistic individuals.