title: Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition.
abstract: Alexithymia is a personality trait frequently found in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and has been linked to impairments in emotion recognition and empathy. The presentation of alexithymia within ASD at younger ages remains unexplored, and was examined in the present study. Alexithymia rates were significantly elevated in ASD (55%; 31/56 scoring above cut-off) versus non-ASD adolescents (16%; 5/32 scoring above cut-off). Within individuals with ASD, alexithymia was associated with increased self-reported anxiety, parent-reported emotional difficulties, self-reported sensory processing atypicalities, and poorer emotion recognition, but was not associated with theory of mind ability. Overall, our results suggest that alexithymia is highly prevalent, and has selective cognitive correlates in young people with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Box PO77, Henry Wellcome Building, 16 Decrespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK. bosiljka.milosavljevic@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Bosiljka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Milosavljevic
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Decrespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Carter Leno
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Decrespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simonoff
authors.affiliation: Newcomen Centre, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baird
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Decrespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pickles
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Park Place, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3AT, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine R G
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Ecorys, Quay Place, Edward Street, Birmingham, B12 RA, UK.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Erskine
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Box PO77, Henry Wellcome Building, 16 Decrespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Charman
authors.affiliation: MRC SDGP Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Decrespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Happé
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004644:Emotions; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D057566:Self Report; D012678:Sensation Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012919:Social Behavior; D056345:Theory of Mind
keywords: Alexithymia; Anxiety; Autism spectrum disorder; Emotion recognition; Sensory processing; Theory of mind