Sex Differences in Autism Symptoms and Mental Health Difficulties in Adolescents with Rare Genetic Disorders

IF 1.3 Q3 EDUCATION, SPECIAL

Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Pub Date : 2024-06-03 DOI:10.1007/s41252-024-00405-1

Ingrid S. Tien, Stian Orm, Jeffrey J. Wood, Erik Winther Skogli, Krister W. Fjermestad

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

Adolescents with rare genetic disorders often display autism traits and mental health difficulties. Sex differences have been identified for mental health symptoms, including comorbidity with autism difficulties, among autistic youth. However, these sex differences may differ with rare genetic ethology and have yet to be examined in rare genetic disorders. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine sex differences in mental health difficulties and autism symptoms among adolescents with rare genetic disorders.

Method

Adolescents with rare genetic disorders (N = 93 M_age = 13.2 years, SD = 2.4, 60.2% females, 39.8% males) were assessed with parent-reports on the Child Behavior Checklist, the Social Communication Questionnaire, and the Social Responsiveness Scale.

Results

Males displayed more total autism characteristics and externalizing difficulties compared with females (Hedges g = 0.44-0.71). Within autism subdomains, males displayed more restrictive and repetitive behaviors and social communication difficulties compared with females (Hedges g = 0.43-0.63). In examining interaction effects, females were found to have a stronger relationship between restrictive and repetitive behaviors and total mental health and externalizing behaviors than males on the Social Communication Questionnaire.

Conclusions

The sex differences typically found with idiopathic autism could be extended to a sample of adolescents with a known genetic likelihood of autism traits. Among adolescents with rare genetic conditions, autism symptoms may be more strongly associated with mental health difficulties in females compared with males.

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罕见遗传疾病青少年自闭症症状和心理健康障碍的性别差异

目的：患有罕见遗传疾病的青少年经常表现出自闭症特征和心理健康问题。性别差异已被确定为自闭症青少年的心理健康症状，包括自闭症困难的共病。然而，这些性别差异可能与罕见的遗传行为学不同，并且尚未在罕见的遗传疾病中进行检查。因此，本研究的目的是研究患有罕见遗传疾病的青少年在心理健康困难和自闭症症状方面的性别差异。方法采用《儿童行为量表》、《社会交往问卷》和《社会反应性量表》的家长报告对罕见遗传障碍青少年（N = 93，年龄13.2岁，SD = 2.4，女性60.2%，男性39.8%）进行评估。结果男性表现出更多的总体自闭症特征和外化困难（Hedges g = 0.44 ~ 0.71）。在自闭症子域内，男性比女性表现出更多的限制性和重复性行为和社会沟通困难（Hedges g = 0.43-0.63）。在研究互动效应时，在社会沟通问卷上，女性在限制性和重复性行为与总体心理健康和外化行为之间的关系比男性更强。在特发性自闭症中发现的典型性别差异可以扩展到具有已知自闭症特征遗传可能性的青少年样本中。在患有罕见遗传疾病的青少年中，与男性相比，自闭症症状与女性心理健康问题的关系可能更强。

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来源期刊

Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Social Sciences-Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

CiteScore

2.10

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders publishes high-quality research in the broad area of neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan. Study participants may include individuals with:Intellectual and developmental disabilitiesGlobal developmental delayCommunication disordersLanguage disordersSpeech sound disordersChildhood-onset fluency disorders (e.g., stuttering)Social (e.g., pragmatic) communication disordersUnspecified communication disordersAutism spectrum disorder (ASD)Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), specified and unspecifiedSpecific learning disordersMotor disordersDevelopmental coordination disordersStereotypic movement disorderTic disorders, specified and unspecifiedOther neurodevelopmental disorders, specified and unspecifiedPapers may also include studies of participants with neurodegenerative disorders that lead to a decline in intellectual functioning, including Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, corticobasal degeneration, Huntington’s disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy. The journal includes empirical, theoretical and review papers on a large variety of issues, populations, and domains, including but not limited to: diagnosis; incidence and prevalence; and educational, pharmacological, behavioral and cognitive behavioral, mindfulness, and psychosocial interventions across the life span. Animal models of basic research that inform the understanding and treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders are also welcomed. The journal is multidisciplinary and multi-theoretical, and encourages research from multiple specialties in the social sciences using quantitative and mixed-method research methodologies.