Table 2.
Differences in internalising and externalising mental health difficulties in those with and without autistic traits.
| Non-autistic traits |
Autistic traits |
Difference in proportiona (age and assigned gender adjusted) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N | % (n) | N | % (n) | N | Diff | 95% CI | p value | |
| Mental Health–parent report (CBCL/6-18) | ||||||||
| Depressive problems | 262 | 26.0 (68) | 234 | 72.6 (170) | 496 | 44.9 | 37.0–52.9 | <0.0001 |
| Anxiety problems | 262 | 17.2 (45) | 234 | 64.5 (151) | 496 | 47.1 | 39.4–54.8 | <0.0001 |
| Somatic problems | 262 | 13.4 (35) | 234 | 33.3 (78) | 496 | 19.1 | 11.8–26.5 | <0.0001 |
| Attention deficit/hyperactivity problems | 262 | 1.1 (3) | 234 | 21.4 (50) | 496 | 20.4 | 14.9–25.8 | <0.0001 |
| Oppositional defiant problems | 262 | 5.0 (13) | 234 | 20.1 (47) | 496 | 16.5 | 10.7–22.2 | <0.0001 |
| Conduct problems | 262 | 2.3 (6) | 234 | 17.5 (41) | 496 | 15.7 | 10.6–20.9 | <0.0001 |
| Mental Health–youth report (YSR) | ||||||||
| Depressive problems | 213 | 34.7 (74) | 201 | 58.2 (117) | 414 | 23.0 | 13.7–32.3 | <0.0001 |
| Anxiety problems | 213 | 27.2 (58) | 201 | 48.8 (98) | 414 | 21.1 | 12.0–30.3 | <0.0001 |
| Somatic problems | 213 | 3.8 (8) | 201 | 11.4 (23) | 414 | 7.6 | 2.5–12.7 | 0.0035 |
| Attention deficit/hyperactivity problems | 213 | 8.5 (18) | 201 | 22.9 (46) | 414 | 14.1 | 7.2–21.0 | <0.0001 |
| Oppositional defiant problems | 213 | 4.2 (9) | 201 | 10.0 (20) | 414 | 5.9 | 0.9–10.9 | 0.020 |
| Conduct problems | 213 | 4.2 (9) | 201 | 14.9 (30) | 414 | 10.2 | 4.7–15.8 | <0.0001 |
| Suicidality (CSSR) | ||||||||
| High risk | 192 | 7.8 (15) | 181 | 17.1 (31) | 373 | 8.8 | 2.2–15.5 | 0.0091 |
Note: CBCL/6–18: Child Behavior Checklist; YSR: Youth Self Report; CSSR: Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Percentages reported for the CBCL/6–18 and YSR reflect % in the clinical range i.e., T-score ≥70 on each scale. Questionnaires were administered according to age applicability, hence, the total numbers do not always equal 522.
a
Binary logistic regression used to assess the association between mental health and the autistic trait (yes/no) adjusting for the effect of age and assigned gender at birth. Marginal effects as difference in proportion was estimated using the fitted models.