Alexithymia in Adult Autism Clinic Service-Users: Relationships with Sensory Processing Differences and Mental Health
Mental health difficulties commonly co-occur with autism, especially in autistic people accessing clinic services, impacting substantially on quality-of-life. Alexithymia (difficulty describing/identifying feelings) and sensory processing differences are prevalent traits in autism that have been ass...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/24/3114 |
| _version_ | 1797380926819270656 |
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| author | Emily Josyfon Debbie Spain Charlotte Blackmore Declan Murphy Bethany Oakley |
| author_facet | Emily Josyfon Debbie Spain Charlotte Blackmore Declan Murphy Bethany Oakley |
| author_sort | Emily Josyfon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mental health difficulties commonly co-occur with autism, especially in autistic people accessing clinic services, impacting substantially on quality-of-life. Alexithymia (difficulty describing/identifying feelings) and sensory processing differences are prevalent traits in autism that have been associated with depression/anxiety in autistic community samples. However, it is important to better understand interrelationships between these traits in clinical populations to improve identification of service-user needs. In this study, 190 autistic adults (65.3% male), seen in a tertiary autism clinic, completed self-report measures of alexithymia (20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale), sensory processing differences (Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile) and depression/anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Multiple linear regression models and mediation analyses were used to examine associations between alexithymia, sensory processing differences, and depression/anxiety severity. Across the sample, 66.3% of individuals (<i>N</i> = 126) were classified as alexithymic (score ≥ 61). Total alexithymia and difficulty describing/identifying feelings were significantly associated with depression severity (β = 0.30–0.38, highest <i>p</i> < 0.002), and difficulty identifying feelings was significantly associated with anxiety severity (β = 0.36, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Sensory processing differences were also significantly associated with depression severity (β = 0.29, <i>p</i> = 0.002) and anxiety severity across all models (β = 0.34–0.48, highest <i>p</i> < 0.001) Finally, difficulty describing/identifying feelings partially mediated the relationships between sensory processing differences and both depression/anxiety severity. Overall, these results highlight that interventions adapted for and targeting emotional awareness and sensory-related uncertainty may improve mental health outcomes in autistic service-users. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:44:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a21e86ccee69429d8e420af686c5125d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T20:44:00Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-a21e86ccee69429d8e420af686c5125d2023-12-22T14:11:50ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-12-011124311410.3390/healthcare11243114Alexithymia in Adult Autism Clinic Service-Users: Relationships with Sensory Processing Differences and Mental HealthEmily Josyfon0Debbie Spain1Charlotte Blackmore2Declan Murphy3Bethany Oakley4Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UKSocial, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UKDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UKDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UKDepartment of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UKMental health difficulties commonly co-occur with autism, especially in autistic people accessing clinic services, impacting substantially on quality-of-life. Alexithymia (difficulty describing/identifying feelings) and sensory processing differences are prevalent traits in autism that have been associated with depression/anxiety in autistic community samples. However, it is important to better understand interrelationships between these traits in clinical populations to improve identification of service-user needs. In this study, 190 autistic adults (65.3% male), seen in a tertiary autism clinic, completed self-report measures of alexithymia (20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale), sensory processing differences (Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile) and depression/anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Multiple linear regression models and mediation analyses were used to examine associations between alexithymia, sensory processing differences, and depression/anxiety severity. Across the sample, 66.3% of individuals (<i>N</i> = 126) were classified as alexithymic (score ≥ 61). Total alexithymia and difficulty describing/identifying feelings were significantly associated with depression severity (β = 0.30–0.38, highest <i>p</i> < 0.002), and difficulty identifying feelings was significantly associated with anxiety severity (β = 0.36, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Sensory processing differences were also significantly associated with depression severity (β = 0.29, <i>p</i> = 0.002) and anxiety severity across all models (β = 0.34–0.48, highest <i>p</i> < 0.001) Finally, difficulty describing/identifying feelings partially mediated the relationships between sensory processing differences and both depression/anxiety severity. Overall, these results highlight that interventions adapted for and targeting emotional awareness and sensory-related uncertainty may improve mental health outcomes in autistic service-users.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/24/3114autismadultmental healthsensory |
| spellingShingle | Emily Josyfon Debbie Spain Charlotte Blackmore Declan Murphy Bethany Oakley Alexithymia in Adult Autism Clinic Service-Users: Relationships with Sensory Processing Differences and Mental Health Healthcare autism adult mental health sensory |
| title | Alexithymia in Adult Autism Clinic Service-Users: Relationships with Sensory Processing Differences and Mental Health |
| title_full | Alexithymia in Adult Autism Clinic Service-Users: Relationships with Sensory Processing Differences and Mental Health |
| title_fullStr | Alexithymia in Adult Autism Clinic Service-Users: Relationships with Sensory Processing Differences and Mental Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alexithymia in Adult Autism Clinic Service-Users: Relationships with Sensory Processing Differences and Mental Health |
| title_short | Alexithymia in Adult Autism Clinic Service-Users: Relationships with Sensory Processing Differences and Mental Health |
| title_sort | alexithymia in adult autism clinic service users relationships with sensory processing differences and mental health |
| topic | autism adult mental health sensory |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/24/3114 |
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