Parental psychopathology, family conflict, brain function, and child autistic-like traits in early adolescents

Parental psychopathology is a known risk factor for child autistic-like traits. However, symptom-level associations and underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.

We utilized network analyses and cross-lagged panel models to investigate the specific parental psychopathology related to child autistic-like traits among 8,571 adolescents (mean age, 9.5 years at baseline), using baseline and 2-year follow-up data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Parental psychopathology was measured by the Adult Self Report, and child autistic-like traits were measured by three methods: the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for DSM-5 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) subscale, the Child Behavior Checklist ASD subscale, and the Social Responsiveness Scale. We also examined the mediating roles of family conflict and children's functional brain connectivity at baseline.

Parental attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems were central symptoms and had a direct and the strongest link with child autistic-like traits in network models using baseline data. In longitudinal analyses, parental attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems at baseline were the only significant symptoms associated with child autistic-like traits at 2-year follow-up (β = 0.014, 95% confidence interval [0.010, 0.018], FDR q = 0.005), even accounting for children's comorbid behavioral problems. The observed association was significantly mediated by family conflict (proportion mediated = 11.5%, p for indirect effect <0.001) and functional connectivity between the default mode and dorsal attention networks (proportion mediated = 0.7%, p for indirect effect = 0.047).

Parental attention-deficit/hyperactivity problems were associated with elevated autistic-like traits in offspring during adolescence.