23080
Anxiety and Satisfaction with Life in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
The comorbidity of anxiety and ASD in children and adolescents is well established (van Steensel, Bogels, & Perrin, 2011). Extant literature on comorbid anxiety symptoms as they manifest in adults with ASD is limited, but preliminary evidence suggests rates of comorbidity comparable to those found in children and adolescents (Lugnegard et al., 2011; Maddox & White, 2015). Anxiety disorders and ASD have each been demonstrated to have substantial impact on quality of life in adults independently (Jennes-Coussens, Magill-Evans, & Koning, 2006; Mendlowicz, 2000), but the relationship between anxiety and satisfaction with life in samples with ASD has not yet been established.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between anxiety symptoms and satisfaction with life in a sample of emerging adults entering a college transition support program. We hypothesized that satisfaction with life would significantly and negatively correlate with anxiety symptoms.
Methods:
Data from the current study were collected prior to enrollment in a randomized controlled trial of a college transition support program for adolescents and young adults with ASD. The sample currently consists of 11 individuals (17-24 years old; 8 males) with ASD, though we anticipate a large sample (n = 25) by May 2016. All participants had a confirmed diagnosis of ASD based on the ADOS-2 (Lord et al., 2012) and were cognitively high-functioning (IQ>80). The Anxiety Disorders Interview-Client Version (ADIS-5; Brown & Barlow, 2014) was used to assess for presence of comorbid anxiety. Participants completed the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985) and parents completed the Adult Behavior Checklist (ABCL; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2003).
Results:
Anxiety disorders were highly prevalent in the sample, with all participants meeting criteria for diagnosis of at least one anxiety disorder. Social Phobia was the most prevalent diagnosis, with 8 of 11 (73%) individuals meeting diagnostic criteria. Other diagnoses included specific phobias (5 of 11, 46%), GAD (4 of 11, 36%), and OCD (3 of 11, 27%). A Pearson correlation between the SWLS and the anxiety problems subscale of the ABCL was not significant, r(9) = .10, p = .78. However, the correlation between the SWLS and the anxiety/depression subscale of the ABCL was large and significant, r(9) = -.65, p = .03. The correlation between the SWLS and the withdrawn subscale of the ABCL was also large and significant, r(9) = -.65, p = .03.
Conclusions:
The current findings partially support a relationship between anxiety symptoms and satisfaction with life in young adults with ASD. Given that no significant relationship was found between the anxiety problems subscale, but significant correlations were found for the anxious/depressed and withdrawn subscales, it is possible that depressive symptoms contribute more to poor satisfaction with life than anxiety symptoms. Such results are surprising given the relatively low comorbidity of depression as compared to anxiety in ASD. While these results should be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size, further research is warranted on the effect of anxious and depressive symptoms on satisfaction with life in ASD.