A new paper* authored by Vanderbilt Kennedy Center members Blythe A. Corbett, Ph.D., and Rachael A. Muscatello, Ph.D., examines the developmental trajectory of depressive symptoms in autistic and neurotypical female and male youth. For many individuals, mental health challenges such as depression often begin during adolescence. Research with autistic individuals has suggested that depressive symptoms appear even earlier and more frequently in females. It has remained unclear whether these symptom profiles change throughout adolescence.
With funding from the National Institute of Mental Health, Corbett and her team examined the trajectory of depressive symptoms in 244 autistic (ASD) and typically developing (TD) youth over a four-year longitudinal study with annual visits. The primary measure was the Child Depression Inventory, a 28-item self-report questionnaire developed for ages 7-17 that measures symptoms of depression experienced over the past two weeks. A linear mixed model was used to examine group (ASD, TD) and sex (females, males), over development (age, puberty).
The study found that autistic youth exhibited higher depression scores compared to their typically developing peers, with females scoring higher than males in both groups. This is consistent with previous research. Over the course of development, the autistic group showed elevated depressive scores in early adolescence, which decreased during middle adolescence and puberty. In contrast, the neurotypical group displayed the opposite trend, with depression symptoms steadily increasing during middle adolescence and continuing to rise as development progressed. Findings indicate that depressive symptoms evolve over time and may be influenced by a range of hormonal, psychological, and social factors affecting emotional profiles.
Rachael Muscatello, Ph.D.
Blythe Corbett, Ph.D.
“The findings remind us that development is not linear,” said Corbett. “Similarly, psychological and emotional states may wax and wane and change over time. Adolescence may be a particularly vulnerable time for children with autism and developmental disabilities. Adapting to all the physical and social changes of the childhood-adolescent transition, may contribute to emotional difficulty adapting to the dynamic social world. By being aware of these changes, and by providing understanding, education and support, care providers, teachers and the health care community can help facilitate this transition.”
Corbett says it is important to monitor significant changes in mood, behavior and affective states. If a child or adolescent presents with symptoms of depression, an assessment and possible treatment by a psychologist or psychiatrist may be warranted.
Corbett and Muscatello say their next steps include an effort to replicate and expand upon the current research by continuing to follow the study sample, recruiting a larger number of participants especially female participants, and comprehensively measuring this important, complex developmental period.
The published study is open access and may be read here.
Investigators are currently enrolling children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder or typical development across two longitudinal studies that examine pubertal, psychosocial, and physiological maturational changes. To learn more, visit Participate in Research – S.E.N.S.E. Lab (vkcsites.org).
*Corbett, B.A., Muscatello, R.A., McGonigle, T., Vandekar, S., Burroughs, C., Sparks, S. (2024). Trajectory of Depressive Symptoms over Adolescence in Autistic and Neurotypical Youth. Molecular Autism, Volume 15, article number 18. Open Access published online May 2, 2024.
