The Autism-Spectrum Quotient in university students: Pattern of changes in its scores and associated factors

AbstractThe affinity for hikikomori represents the desire to be withdrawn, as well as to entertain an empathetic attitude towards withdrawn individuals. It is composed of two subdimensions, the maladaptive desire for hikikomori, and empathy for others with hikikomori. This longitudinal study examined whether autistic traits predicted the affinity for hikikomori. At the baseline assessment, undergraduate and graduate students in Japan (N = 272) completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Affinity for Hikikomori Scale in University Students, and measures assessing academic failures and interpersonal conflicts. They also completed all measures excluding the AQ eight weeks later. Structural equation modeling indicated that difficulties in social interaction aspects of autistic traits were positively associated with academic failures at Time 2 even after controlling for academic failures at Time 1. In addition, difficulties in social interaction were positively related to the desire for hikikomori at Time 2 indirectly via academic failures at Time 2 after controlling for the desire for hikikomori at Time 1. Difficulties in social interaction were also directly associated with the increased desire for hikikomori at Time 2. These findings suggest that autistic traits, and especially difficulties in social interaction, are predictors of the maladaptive aspect of the affinity for hikikomori.

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Kessler Psychological Distress (K6) Questionnaire Scores Can Predict Autistic Traits and the Current and Prospective Suicidal Ideation in Medical University Students: A Prospective Study

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/2158244021994590 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 215824402199459

Author(s):

Yumi Naito ◽

Noriyuki Enomoto ◽

Yosuke Kameno ◽

Hidenori Yamasue ◽

Takafumi Suda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

University Students ◽

Developmental Disorders ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Mental States ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Lifestyle Changes ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Short Questionnaire

Mental distress is highly prevalent in university students, and autistic traits can hinder academic education. The substantial lifestyle changes experienced by new university students can induce mood and anxiety dysfunctions and subsequent suicide-related behaviors. The aims of this study were to evaluate the detectability of suicidal ideation using the Kessler Psychological Distress (K6) questionnaire, a short and easily administered measure, and to elucidate the relationship between K6 scores and developmental disorders following university admission in medical students. The mental states of 341 new students at University School of Medicine were prospectively evaluated using the short questionnaire including the K6 at admission and 6 months later. Participants were simultaneously assessed on the five core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), four features of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and presence of suicidal ideation on this short questionnaire. K6 scores were significantly higher 6 months after admission than at admission ( p = .028). Students with suicidal ideation had significantly higher K6 scores than those without ( p < .001), and K6 scores at admission differentiated students with suicidal ideation both at admission (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.947) and 6 months after admission (AUC = 0.913). K6 scores were positively correlated with scores of ASD- and ADHD-related items (ρ = .451 and .440, respectively) and with autism-spectrum quotient scores ( p = .041, ρ = .501). In conclusion, the K6 questionnaire may be useful in efficiently detecting university students with suicidal ideation or autistic traits.

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Prevalence of Depression and Associated Factors among Addis Ababa University Students, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia

Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in Healthcare ◽

10.15415/jmrh.2015.21005 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 73-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Yetayale Berhanu

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Addis Ababa ◽

Prevalence Of Depression ◽

Addis Ababa University

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Short Report: Speeded Reasoning Moderates the Inverse Relationship Between Autistic-Like Traits and Emotion Recognition

10.31234/osf.io/6m8h9 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Alex Bertrams ◽

Katja Schlegel

Keyword(s):

Emotion Recognition ◽

Inverse Relationship ◽

Time Pressure ◽

Recognition Performance ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Short Report ◽

Reasoning Ability ◽

Reasoning Test ◽

The Mind

People high in autistic-like traits have been found to have difficulties with recognizing emotions from nonverbal expressions. However, findings on the autism—emotion recognition relationship are inconsistent. In the present study, we investigated whether speeded reasoning ability (reasoning performance under time pressure) moderates the inverse relationship between autistic-like traits and emotion recognition performance. We expected the negative correlation between autistic-like traits and emotion recognition to be less strong when speeded reasoning ability was high. MTurkers (N = 217) completed the ten item version of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10), two emotion recognition tests using videos with sound (Geneva Emotion Recognition Test, GERT-S) and pictures (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, RMET), and Baddeley's Grammatical Reasoning test to measure speeded reasoning. As expected, the higher the ability in speeded reasoning, the less were higher autistic-like traits related to lower emotion recognition performance. These results suggest that a high ability in making quick mental inferences may (partly) compensate for difficulties with intuitive emotion recognition related to autistic-like traits.

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Diachronic Tendency and Thinking Style Across the Broader Autism Spectrum: Sources of Individual Differences?

Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s41252-021-00209-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stian Orm ◽

Ella Holt Holmberg ◽

Paul L. Harris ◽

Maria Nunez ◽

Francisco Pons

Keyword(s):

Autistic Traits ◽

Broader Autism Phenotype ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Inner Speech ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Present Moment ◽

Thinking Style ◽

Mental Images ◽

High School Degree ◽

Future Events

Abstract Objectives First, to see whether previous studies showing a limited capacity to spontaneously evoke the past and the future of a present moment (diachronic tendency) and a prevalence of mental images over inner speech (thinking style) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder could be replicated in individuals belonging to the broader autism phenotype. Second, to test the hypothesis that individuals thinking with mental images have a more limited diachronic tendency compared with individuals thinking with inner speech. Methods Adults (N = 309, Mage = 31.5 years, 76% women) with at least a high school degree were assessed with the Autism Spectrum Quotient, a test of diachronic tendency comprising four pictures varying in social interactivity and dynamicity, and a thinking style scale comprising three items representing three different everyday situations. Results The results showed that adults with many autistic traits have a limited diachronic tendency but only when the situation is socially interactive and dynamic, think more in mental images than individuals with no or few autistic traits but nevertheless still think more with inner speech than with mental images, and the more the participants reported thinking in inner speech, the more they evoked past and future events when describing a socially interactive and dynamic situation. Conclusions More autistic traits are associated with a limited diachronic tendency in socially interactive and dynamic situations and more thinking in mental images, and thinking style could be one of the determinants of diachronic tendency in socially interactive and dynamic situations.

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The Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory (CATI): development and validation of a new measure of autistic traits in the general population

Molecular Autism ◽

10.1186/s13229-021-00445-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michael C. W. English ◽

Gilles E. Gignac ◽

Troy A. W. Visser ◽

Andrew J. O. Whitehouse ◽

James T. Enns ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

General Population ◽

Measurement Invariance ◽

High Reliability ◽

Predictive Ability ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Sensory Sensitivity ◽

Wide Range

Abstract Background Traits and characteristics qualitatively similar to those seen in diagnosed autism spectrum disorder can be found to varying degrees in the general population. To measure these traits and facilitate their use in autism research, several questionnaires have been developed that provide broad measures of autistic traits [e.g. Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ)]. However, since their development, our understanding of autism has grown considerably, and it is arguable that existing measures do not provide an ideal representation of the trait dimensions currently associated with autism. Our aim was to create a new measure of autistic traits that reflects our current understanding of autism, the Comprehensive Autism Trait Inventory (CATI). Methods In Study 1, 107 pilot items were administered to 1119 individuals in the general population and exploratory factor analysis of responses used to create the 42-item CATI comprising six subscales: Social Interactions, Communication, Social Camouflage, Repetitive Behaviours, Cognitive Rigidity, and Sensory Sensitivity. In Study 2, the CATI was administered to 1068 new individuals and confirmatory factor analysis used to verify the factor structure. The AQ and BAPQ were administered to validate the CATI, and additional autistic participants were recruited to compare the predictive ability of the measures. In Study 3, to validate the CATI subscales, the CATI was administered to 195 new individuals along with existing valid measures qualitatively similar to each CATI subscale. Results The CATI showed convergent validity at both the total-scale (r ≥ .79) and subscale level (r ≥ .68). The CATI also showed superior internal reliability for total-scale scores (α = .95) relative to the AQ (α = .90) and BAPQ (α = .94), consistently high reliability for subscales (α > .81), greater predictive ability for classifying autism (Youden’s Index = .62 vs .56–.59), and demonstrated measurement invariance for sex. Limitations Analyses of predictive ability for classifying autism depended upon self-reported diagnosis or identification of autism. The autistic sample was not large enough to test measurement invariance of autism diagnosis. Conclusions The CATI is a reliable and economical new measure that provides observations across a wide range of trait dimensions associated with autism, potentially precluding the need to administer multiple measures, and to our knowledge, the CATI is also the first broad measure of autistic traits to have dedicated subscales for social camouflage and sensory sensitivity.

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