Co-occurrence of autistic and psychotic traits: implications for depression, self-harm and suicidality

Katie Sampson; Rachel Upthegrove; Ahmad Abu-Akel; Sayeed Haque; Stephen Wood; Renate Reniers

doi:10.1017/S0033291720000124

Co-occurrence of autistic and psychotic traits: implications for depression, self-harm and suicidality

Katie Sampson
, Rachel Upthegrove
, Ahmad Abu-Akel
, Sayeed Haque
, Stephen Wood
, Renate Reniers

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

631 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Background

There is increasing interest in the clinical and aetiological overlap between autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, reported to co-occur at both diagnostic and trait levels. Individually, sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are associated with poor clinical outcomes, including increased depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. However, the implications when both traits co-occur remain poorly understood. The study aimed to (1) examine the relationship between autistic and psychotic traits and (2) determine if their co-occurrence increases depressive symptomatology, self-harm and suicidality.

Methods

Cross-sectional data from a self-selecting (online and poster advertising) sample of the adult UK population (n = 653) were collected using an online survey. Validated self-report measures were used to assess sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits, depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. Correlation and regression analyses were performed.

Results

A positive correlation between sub-clinical autistic and positive psychotic traits was confirmed (r_s = 0.509, p < 0.001). Overall, autistic traits and psychotic traits were, independently, significant predictors of depression, self-harm and suicidality. Intriguingly, however, depression was associated with a negative interaction between the autistic domain attention to detail and psychotic traits.

Conclusions

This study supports previous findings that sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are largely independently associated with depression, self-harm and suicidality, and is novel in finding that their combined presence has no additional effect on depression, self-harm or suicidality. These findings highlight the importance of considering both autistic and psychotic traits and their symptom domains in research and when developing population-based depression prevention and intervention strategies.

Original language	English
Number of pages	9
Journal	Psychological Medicine
Early online date	21 Feb 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720000124
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 21 Feb 2020

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
autistic traits
psychotic traits
depression
self-harm
suicidality
Autistic spectrum disorders
schizophrenia spectrum disorders

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Psychiatry and Mental health
Applied Psychology

Access to Document

10.1017/S0033291720000124Licence: None: All rights reserved

SampsonK2020Cooccurrence
This article has been published in a revised form in Psychological Medicine https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720000124. This version is published under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND. No commercial re-distribution or re-use allowed. Derivative works cannot be distributed. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press
Accepted author manuscript, 394 KBLicence: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (CC BY-NC-ND)

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720000124Licence: None: All rights reserved

Cite this

@article{8bc39fb62c3d461993d823179b8835e1,

title = "Co-occurrence of autistic and psychotic traits: implications for depression, self-harm and suicidality",

abstract = "BackgroundThere is increasing interest in the clinical and aetiological overlap between autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, reported to co-occur at both diagnostic and trait levels. Individually, sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are associated with poor clinical outcomes, including increased depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. However, the implications when both traits co-occur remain poorly understood. The study aimed to (1) examine the relationship between autistic and psychotic traits and (2) determine if their co-occurrence increases depressive symptomatology, self-harm and suicidality. MethodsCross-sectional data from a self-selecting (online and poster advertising) sample of the adult UK population (n = 653) were collected using an online survey. Validated self-report measures were used to assess sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits, depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. Correlation and regression analyses were performed. ResultsA positive correlation between sub-clinical autistic and positive psychotic traits was confirmed (rs = 0.509, p < 0.001). Overall, autistic traits and psychotic traits were, independently, significant predictors of depression, self-harm and suicidality. Intriguingly, however, depression was associated with a negative interaction between the autistic domain attention to detail and psychotic traits. ConclusionsThis study supports previous findings that sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are largely independently associated with depression, self-harm and suicidality, and is novel in finding that their combined presence has no additional effect on depression, self-harm or suicidality. These findings highlight the importance of considering both autistic and psychotic traits and their symptom domains in research and when developing population-based depression prevention and intervention strategies.",

keywords = "Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders, autistic traits, psychotic traits, depression, self-harm, suicidality, Autistic spectrum disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders",

author = "Katie Sampson and Rachel Upthegrove and Ahmad Abu-Akel and Sayeed Haque and Stephen Wood and Renate Reniers",

year = "2020",

month = feb,

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doi = "10.1017/S0033291720000124",

language = "English",

journal = "Psychological Medicine",

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T1 - Co-occurrence of autistic and psychotic traits

T2 - implications for depression, self-harm and suicidality

AU - Sampson, Katie

AU - Upthegrove, Rachel

AU - Abu-Akel, Ahmad

AU - Haque, Sayeed

AU - Wood, Stephen

AU - Reniers, Renate

PY - 2020/2/21

Y1 - 2020/2/21

N2 - BackgroundThere is increasing interest in the clinical and aetiological overlap between autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, reported to co-occur at both diagnostic and trait levels. Individually, sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are associated with poor clinical outcomes, including increased depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. However, the implications when both traits co-occur remain poorly understood. The study aimed to (1) examine the relationship between autistic and psychotic traits and (2) determine if their co-occurrence increases depressive symptomatology, self-harm and suicidality. MethodsCross-sectional data from a self-selecting (online and poster advertising) sample of the adult UK population (n = 653) were collected using an online survey. Validated self-report measures were used to assess sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits, depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. Correlation and regression analyses were performed. ResultsA positive correlation between sub-clinical autistic and positive psychotic traits was confirmed (rs = 0.509, p < 0.001). Overall, autistic traits and psychotic traits were, independently, significant predictors of depression, self-harm and suicidality. Intriguingly, however, depression was associated with a negative interaction between the autistic domain attention to detail and psychotic traits. ConclusionsThis study supports previous findings that sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are largely independently associated with depression, self-harm and suicidality, and is novel in finding that their combined presence has no additional effect on depression, self-harm or suicidality. These findings highlight the importance of considering both autistic and psychotic traits and their symptom domains in research and when developing population-based depression prevention and intervention strategies.

AB - BackgroundThere is increasing interest in the clinical and aetiological overlap between autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders, reported to co-occur at both diagnostic and trait levels. Individually, sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are associated with poor clinical outcomes, including increased depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. However, the implications when both traits co-occur remain poorly understood. The study aimed to (1) examine the relationship between autistic and psychotic traits and (2) determine if their co-occurrence increases depressive symptomatology, self-harm and suicidality. MethodsCross-sectional data from a self-selecting (online and poster advertising) sample of the adult UK population (n = 653) were collected using an online survey. Validated self-report measures were used to assess sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits, depressive symptomatology, self-harming behaviour and suicidality. Correlation and regression analyses were performed. ResultsA positive correlation between sub-clinical autistic and positive psychotic traits was confirmed (rs = 0.509, p < 0.001). Overall, autistic traits and psychotic traits were, independently, significant predictors of depression, self-harm and suicidality. Intriguingly, however, depression was associated with a negative interaction between the autistic domain attention to detail and psychotic traits. ConclusionsThis study supports previous findings that sub-clinical autistic and psychotic traits are largely independently associated with depression, self-harm and suicidality, and is novel in finding that their combined presence has no additional effect on depression, self-harm or suicidality. These findings highlight the importance of considering both autistic and psychotic traits and their symptom domains in research and when developing population-based depression prevention and intervention strategies.

KW - Autistic Spectrum Disorders

KW - Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

KW - autistic traits

KW - psychotic traits

KW - depression

KW - self-harm

KW - suicidality

KW - Autistic spectrum disorders

KW - schizophrenia spectrum disorders

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85081296443

U2 - 10.1017/S0033291720000124

DO - 10.1017/S0033291720000124

M3 - Article

SN - 0033-2917

JO - Psychological Medicine

JF - Psychological Medicine

ER -

Co-occurrence of autistic and psychotic traits: implications for depression, self-harm and suicidality

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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