Brief report: joint trajectories of anxiety and depression symptoms in an inception cohort of autistic youth - Takeaways - MDSpire

Brief report: joint trajectories of anxiety and depression symptoms in an inception cohort of autistic youth

  • By

  • Michelle C. Hunsche

  • Anat Zaidman-Zait

  • Melissa Olana

  • Peter Szatmari

  • Teresa Bennett

  • Eric Duku

  • Stelios Georgiades

  • Isabel M. Smith

  • Lonnie Zwaigenbaum

  • Mayada Elsabbagh

  • Tracy Vaillancourt

  • Rachael Bedford

  • Connor M. Kerns

  • May 5, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Anxiety and depression symptoms are prevalent among autistic youth, with significant co-occurrence observed during childhood and adolescence.

  • 2

    Anxiety symptoms remained stable from childhood to adolescence, while depression symptoms showed an average increase over the same period.

  • 3

    Greater autistic traits and emotional reactivity were linked to higher initial anxiety and depression symptoms, but not their trajectories.

  • 4

    Stronger communication abilities correlated with initial anxiety but were associated with a decrease in anxiety symptoms over time.

  • 5

    The study highlights the need for joint monitoring of anxiety and depression symptoms in autistic youth for early detection and intervention.

Original Source(s)

Brief report: joint trajectories of anxiety and depression symptoms in an inception cohort of autistic youth

  • by Michelle C. Hunsche, Anat Zaidman-Zait, Melissa Olana, Peter Szatmari, Teresa Bennett, Eric Duku, Stelios Georgiades, Isabel M. Smith, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Mayada Elsabbagh, Tracy Vaillancourt, Rachael Bedford, Connor M. Kerns

  • May 5, 2026

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