Depressive symptoms and activity engagement in autistic adolescents and those with other developmental disabilities.
Lisa D Wiggins, Julie Daniels, Katie Overwyk, Lisa Croen, Carolyn DiGuiseppi, Chyrise Bradley, Patrick Powell, Gabriel Dichter, Eric Moody, Karen Pazol
Author Information
Lisa D Wiggins: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: lwiggins@cdc.gov.
Julie Daniels: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Katie Overwyk: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Lisa Croen: Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA.
Carolyn DiGuiseppi: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO, USA.
Chyrise Bradley: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Patrick Powell: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Gabriel Dichter: University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Eric Moody: University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
Karen Pazol: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
BACKGROUND: Autistic adults and those with other developmental disabilities (DD) have increased depressive symptoms and decreased activity engagement when compared to those with no DD. Few studies explore activities related to depressive symptoms in autistic people and those with other DD during adolescence. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this analysis were to describe depressive symptoms and activity engagement among autistic adolescents and those with other DD and no DD and explore types of activities associated with depressive symptoms, stratified by study group. METHODS: Parents of adolescents completed a multi-site case-control study of autism and other DD when their child was 2-5 years of age and a follow-up survey when their child was 12-16 years of age. Questions asked about the adolescent's current diagnoses, depressive symptoms (i.e., diagnosis, medication use, or symptoms), and engagement in club, social, sport, vocational, volunteer, and other organized activities. RESULTS: Autistic adolescents (N = 238) and those with other DD (N = 222) were significantly more likely to have depressive symptoms than adolescents with no DD (N = 406), (31.9 %, 30.6 %, and 15.0 % respectively). Lower percentages of autistic adolescents participated in activities than peers with other DD, who had lower percentages than peers with no DD. Participation in sports was associated with lower likelihood of depressive symptoms in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: Autistic adolescents and those with other DD are at increased risk for depressive symptoms and reduced activity engagement. Participation in sports may be especially important for adolescent mental health regardless of disability status. Implications for public health education and intervention are discussed.
