Abstract
Background:While growing literature is stressing the link between Autistic Traits (AT) and trauma-/stress-related disorders, in both conditions significant differences have been separately reported.Objective:This study aims to evaluate the relationship between AT and trauma-/stress-related symptoms with respect to sex.Methods:178 university students were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, the Trauma and Loss Spectrum (TALS) and the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS). In order to evaluate sex differences in trauma-/stress-related symptoms among subjects with higher or lower AT, the sample was split in two groups with an equal number of subjects on the basis of the median score reported on AdAS Spectrum (“AdAS high scorers” and “AdAS low scorers”).Results:Females reported significantly higher TALS total score, Loss events and Grief reaction domain scores than males in the whole sample, while AdAS high scorers reported significantly higher TALS total and domain scores than AdAS low scorers. A significant interaction between high/low AdAS score and sex emerged for TALS domains, with females scoring significantly higher than males only among AdAS low scorers, specifically on Loss events, Grief reaction, Re-experiencing and Personal characteristics/Risk factors domains. Finally, among AdAS high scorers a significantly higher rate of subjects fulfilled symptomatological criteria for PTSD than among AdAS low scorers, without sex differences.Conclusion:Our results confirm a significant relationship between AT and trauma-/stress-related symptoms, which seems to prevail on sex differences among high-risk subjects.
Highlights
Our results confirm a significant relationship between Autistic Traits (AT) and trauma-/stress-related symptoms, which seems to prevail on sex differences among high-risk subjects
As suggested by previous studies, among subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or AT the difficulties in externalizing emotions, eventually seeking for help, as well as the deficits in adjusting to stressful events of daily life, may result in an inability to successfully cope with major traumatic events, but even to milder events, developing post-traumatic symptoms. This hypothesis is in line with the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Complex model [39 - 42]. Complex PTSD (cPTSD) is defined as a syndrome that can be detected even in response to mild and repeated stressful experiences, especially in high-risk subjects [39 - 43], and it is characterized by a higher tendency to chronicity, typically featuring dissociative symptoms, maladaptive behaviors, emotional dysregulation, negative self-perception [33, 44, 45]
No significant sex differences emerged for Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS) Spectrum total and domain scores among high scorers as well as among low scorers, except for the domain Hyper-Hypo reactivity to sensory input for which, among low scorers, females reported significantly higher scores than males (2.47±2.23 vs. 1.50±1.28; t=2.51; p=0.014)
Summary
In the last few years, a growing body of evidence has reported significant rates of comorbidity between milder forms of ASD (or AT) and other psychiatric disorders, such as personality disorders as well as anxiety, mood and stress-related disorders [18, 25 - 29] In this framework, it is noteworthy that to date, scant literature has paid specific attention to investigate the relationship between ASD, AT, and the spectrum of post-traumatic symptomatology. As suggested by previous studies, among subjects with ASD or AT the difficulties in externalizing emotions, eventually seeking for help, as well as the deficits in adjusting to stressful events of daily life, may result in an inability to successfully cope with major traumatic events, but even to milder events, developing post-traumatic symptoms This hypothesis is in line with the PTSD Complex (cPTSD) model [39 - 42]. While growing literature is stressing the link between Autistic Traits (AT) and trauma-/stress-related disorders, in both conditions significant differences have been separately reported
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
