Mood Alternations on the Autistic Spectrum

Symptoms of internalized psychopathologies, such as anxiety and depression, are common in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Their presence is a difficulty because it prohibits inclusion and quality of life of this population. Despite ongoing research, there is still a gap in understanding these issues, particularly when it comes to adults with intellectual disabilities. Much of the existing research has primarily focused on studying comorbid conditions in children with ASD, often those who are high-functioning, leaving crucial segments of the autistic spectrum unexplored. Recent literature indicates that variables like executive functioning, emotional regulation, and intolerance to uncertainty are crucial in explaining the connection between internalized symptoms and ASD. These variables appear to contribute to the development and persistence of internalized psychopathologies in individuals with ASD. Yet, many aspects of this association, including the expression of these symptoms and their treatment, remain uncertain. Studying this aspect is vital for promoting prevention, early diagnosis, and a deeper understanding of these symptoms within the autism population. Nevertheless, it contains certain complexity as a result of the characteristics of ASD, associated intellectual disability, language difficulties, or phenotypic overlap between some comorbid psychopathologies and autism. All these difficulties mean that this field is under-researched, causing serious mental health and quality of life problems for people on the autistic spectrum, family members, carers, therapists, etc. This chapter reviews the scientific literature on comorbidity in autism, specifically on anxious and depressive symptoms. The aim is to update the findings reached by the research on comorbidity, prevalence, and expression of these symptoms in adults on the autism spectrum.