Location
Chamberlain Student Center
Document Type
Poster
College
College of Science & Mathematics
Event Website
https://research.rowan.edu/rowan-research-days-2024.html
Start Date
26-3-2024 12:00 PM
End Date
26-3-2024 3:00 PM
Abstract
Background: Improving the understanding and treatment of mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety, are significant priorities for autistic adults (Benevides et al., 2020; Crane et al., 2019; Pellicano et al., 2014). While several theories have been proposed to explain the high prevalence of internalizing symptoms in autistic people, little longitudinal research has been done to investigate potential causal mechanisms. One potentially fruitful area of investigation is to explore how well-known contributors to depression/anxiety in the general population predict and/or moderate the development of internalizing symptoms in autistic individuals. Objectives: The current study investigates the relation of one established risk factor from the general population, repetitive negative thinking (RNT), to internalizing symptoms over the course of college students’ first semester. We will also examine whether this association is moderated by a measure of autistic traits (Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition; SRS-2; Constantino & Gruber, 2012) and self-described autism status. Methods: Students were recruited from four northeastern United States universities prior to their first semester at their university (in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, and Fall 2022). Our sample (N=263 total) includes 105 students who either reported a formal autism diagnosis (n=30) or endorsed a history of self and/or others thinking that they may be autistic (n=75), as well as 158 students with no history of autism. Participants completed a baseline survey battery within their first two weeks of starting college, a brief biweekly survey throughout their first semester (up to 24 times across 12 weeks), and an endpoint packet. Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships of interest were assessed using general linear models and generalized least squares (GLS) regression (Pinheiro & Bates, 2000) with a first-order autoregressive correlation structure (AR1), respectively. Results: Cross-sectional analyses on the full dataset (N=263) indicate that autistic (self-identified or clinically diagnosed) students tended to report greater repetitive thinking (F(1,252)=42.40, p
Repetitive negative thinking as a prospective predictor of depression and anxiety symptoms in autistic and non-autistic incoming college students
Chamberlain Student Center
Background: Improving the understanding and treatment of mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety, are significant priorities for autistic adults (Benevides et al., 2020; Crane et al., 2019; Pellicano et al., 2014). While several theories have been proposed to explain the high prevalence of internalizing symptoms in autistic people, little longitudinal research has been done to investigate potential causal mechanisms. One potentially fruitful area of investigation is to explore how well-known contributors to depression/anxiety in the general population predict and/or moderate the development of internalizing symptoms in autistic individuals. Objectives: The current study investigates the relation of one established risk factor from the general population, repetitive negative thinking (RNT), to internalizing symptoms over the course of college students’ first semester. We will also examine whether this association is moderated by a measure of autistic traits (Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition; SRS-2; Constantino & Gruber, 2012) and self-described autism status. Methods: Students were recruited from four northeastern United States universities prior to their first semester at their university (in Fall 2020, Fall 2021, and Fall 2022). Our sample (N=263 total) includes 105 students who either reported a formal autism diagnosis (n=30) or endorsed a history of self and/or others thinking that they may be autistic (n=75), as well as 158 students with no history of autism. Participants completed a baseline survey battery within their first two weeks of starting college, a brief biweekly survey throughout their first semester (up to 24 times across 12 weeks), and an endpoint packet. Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships of interest were assessed using general linear models and generalized least squares (GLS) regression (Pinheiro & Bates, 2000) with a first-order autoregressive correlation structure (AR1), respectively. Results: Cross-sectional analyses on the full dataset (N=263) indicate that autistic (self-identified or clinically diagnosed) students tended to report greater repetitive thinking (F(1,252)=42.40, p
https://rdw.rowan.edu/grad_student_symposium/2024/mar26/8
Comments
Erin McKenney is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology working under Dr. Katherine Gotham.