Abstract
Objective: To describe affective symptomatology endorsed by adults with ASDs and determine what relationship those symptoms have to bullying experiences.
Background: Affective symptoms are common in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), as is a history of being bullied. Though prior bullying experiences could contribute to affective symptomatology in adults with ASDs, it is unclear which bullying variables are most strongly associated with affective symptomatology.
Design/Methods: A survey evaluating current affective symptomatology and details about school bullying experiences was completed anonymously by 48 adults (36 male) with ASDs. Subjects were recruited at local autism community meetings or were mailed the instrument after expressing interest in participation. The latter subjects were identified from a database maintained by the Arizona State University Autism/Asperger’s Research Program. Comparison between the groups was conducted using the non-parametric Kruskal Wallis test for continuous variables. The Pearson Chi-Squared and Fisher’s exact tests were used for categorical variables.
Results: The majority of respondents reported depression (85.1%), anxiety (87.2%) and anger (68.8%). Of those reporting depression or anxiety, 51.2% were not receiving treatment. Only 6 respondents reported no history of bullying. Bullying experiences during college were associated with more severe depression (p=.0485). Bullying experiences during elementary school were associated with more severe anxiety (p=.0350). Bullying experiences during graduate school were associated with more severe anger (p=.0404). Those respondents experiencing the greatest bullying frequency across all school levels were more likely to endorse depression (p=.0276) and anxiety (p=.0194). Cyber bullying was associated with more severe depression (p=.0042), anxiety (p=.0467), and anger (p=.0219).
Conclusions: Bullying experiences reported by adults with ASDs appear common across multiple school settings and are associated with a significant burden of affective symptomatology. The school level at which bullying occurred and variables describing the type and intensity of bullying experiences may predict types of affective symptomatology impacting adults with ASDs.
Study Supported by: Mayo Clinic Intramural Career Development Award
Disclosure: Dr. Woodruff has received research support from Genentech. Dr. Temkit has nothing to disclose. Dr. Adams has nothing to disclose. Dr. Yost has nothing to disclose.
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