Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Aug 28;20(10):82.
doi: 10.1007/s11920-018-0949-0.

Psychosocial Treatments Targeting Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents and Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Review of the Latest Research and Recommended Future Directions

Susan W White  1 , Grace Lee Simmons  2 , Katherine O Gotham  3 , Caitlin M Conner  4 , Isaac C Smith  2 , Kelly B Beck  5 , Carla A Mazefsky  4
Affiliations
Review

Psychosocial Treatments Targeting Anxiety and Depression in Adolescents and Adults on the Autism Spectrum: Review of the Latest Research and Recommended Future Directions

Susan W White et al. Curr Psychiatry Rep. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: This synthesis of treatment research related to anxiety and depression in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focuses on the scientific support for various forms of psychosocial interventions, useful adaptations to standard interventions, and engagement of candidate therapeutic mechanisms.

Recent findings: There is considerable evidence for the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to treat co-occurring problems with anxiety, but there has been relatively little research on treatment of co-occurring depression. Multiple mechanisms of treatment effect have been proposed, but there has been little demonstration of target engagement via experimental therapeutics. Comorbidity between ASD and anxiety and/or mood problems is common. Although there is evidence for the use of CBT for anxiety, little work has addressed how to effectively treat depression. There is emerging support for alternative treatment approaches, such as mindfulness-based interventions. We encourage rigorous, collaborative approaches to identify and manipulate putative mechanisms of change.

Keywords: Anxiety; Autism; Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT); Depression; Intervention; Mindfulness.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of research articles published in 5-year increments [last block is 3-year increment]. Articles were retrieved from PUBMED. Search terms were restricted to title or abstract [autism OR asperger* AND treatment AND ‘anxiety’/’depression’]
Figure 2
Figure 2
Candidate treatment mechanisms associated with NIMH RDoC domains
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Baio J, Wiggins L, Christensen DL, Maenner MJ, Daniels J, Warren Z, et al. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years–Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2014. MMWR Surveill Summ 2018:67(No. SS-6):1–23. Doi:0.15585/mmwr.ss6706a1 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hepburn SL, Stern JA, Blakeley-Smith A, Kimel LK, Reaven JA. Complex psychiatric comorbidity of treatment-seeking youth with autism spectrum disorder and anxiety symptoms. J Ment Health Res in Intellect Disabil 2014:7(4):359–378. Doi:10.1080/19315864.2014.932476 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hofvander B, Delorme R, Chaste P, Nydén A, Wentz E, Ståhlberg O, et al. Psychiatric and psychosocial problems in adults with normal-intelligence autism spectrum disorders. BMC Psychiatry 2009. December:9(1). Doi:10.1186/1471-244X-9-35 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Maddox BB, White SW. Comorbid social anxiety disorder in adults with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2015:45(12):3949–3960. Doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2531-5 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Olatunji BO Cisler JM, Tolin DF. Quality of life in the anxiety disorders: A meta-analytic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2007:27:572–81. Doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2007.01.015. - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms