Abstract
ObjectivesHope is reliably associated with positive outcomes in youth; however, prior literature has yet to explore hope in neurodiverse individuals. As adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences (ND) display distinct neurocognitive profiles and are at risk for poor psychosocial outcomes, it is essential to understand how this marginalized group may vary in their own subjective ratings of hope, and how hope may relate to positive adjustment in this population. Further investigation of relational determinants, such as family characteristics and peer relationships, is also warranted to increase understanding of how various dimensions of social support relate to hope for different populations.MethodsThe current study assessed group differences in hope for ND adolescents on the autism spectrum and/or with intellectual disabilities, as compared to neurotypical (NT) adolescents. Additionally, correlates and predictors of hope were clarified across neurodiverse groups. Participants included 185 adolescents (NT: n = 96; ND: n = 89) and their mothers as part of a larger longitudinal study.ResultsResults indicated that adolescents with ND reported significantly lower hope than NT peers, t(183) = 3.31, p = .001, with autistic adolescents at highest risk. Regardless of neurodevelopmental status, greater hope was associated with fewer internalizing symptoms (F(1,178) = 12.35, p = .001) and higher quality of life (F(1,179) = 57.05, p < .001). Furthermore, maternal scaffolding and adolescent social skills were predictive of higher hope across groups.ConclusionsFindings underscore the importance of hope in adolescence for all youth and highlight avenues for intervention.
Highlights
No significant interaction between the neurodevelopmental group (i.e., NT, intellectual developmental disorder (IDD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD)) and estimated Full-Scale IQ, F(2,163) = 2.21, ns, was identified in relation to hope in an ANOVA model, suggesting that the relationship between hope and IQ is similar across neurodevelopmental and neurotypical groups
In a subsequent regression inclusive of the entire sample, IQ was not significantly predictive of adolescent hope scores, t(167) = 0.61, ns. These results suggest that for youth with NT, intellectual disability (ID), and ASD in the current sample, hope was independent of IQ
The results indicated that adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences (ND) endorsed significantly lower levels of hope than NT youth, replicating previous findings (Shogren et al, 2006)
Summary
Participants were drawn from a longitudinal study conducted across three university sites: University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Riverside, and Pennsylvania State University. The historical assessment included measures of cognitive functioning using an abbreviated version of the WISC-IV (Wechsler, 2003) and of adaptive skills using the Vineland Scales of Adaptive Behavior2nd Edition (VABS-2; Sparrow et al, 2005) Through this assessment, 24 participants clearly met diagnostic criteria for intellectual disability (ID; standard scores in both cognitive and adaptive behavior domains < 70). Researchers have continued to advocate for recognition of BIF as a distinct disorder (Wieland & Zitman, 2016) or for BIF to be included in the broader ICD diagnostic category of intellectual developmental disorder (IDD; Greenspan, 2017) Considering these factors, all 37 participants were grouped together into one larger group of adolescents with impairments related to cognitive and adaptive skills; for clarity, this group will be labeled IDD for the remainder of the paper. As compared to the NT group, the ND group had a significantly higher proportion of males, which was likely influenced by documented gender discrepancies in the prevalence of ASD (Werling & Geschwind, 2013)
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