TY - JOUR
T1 - Autistic Symptoms and Social Functioning in Psychosis
T2 - A Network Approach
AU - Isvoranu, Adela Maria
AU - Ziermans, Tim
AU - Schirmbeck, Frederike
AU - Borsboom, Denny
AU - Geurts, Hilde M.
AU - De Haan, Lieuwe
AU - Van Amelsvoort, Therese
AU - Bartels-Velthuis, Agna A.
AU - Simons, Claudia J.P.
AU - Van Os, Jim
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center.
PY - 2022/1/1
Y1 - 2022/1/1
N2 - Psychotic and autistic symptoms are related to social functioning in individuals with psychotic disorders (PD). The present study used a network approach to (1) evaluate the interactions between autistic symptoms, psychotic symptoms, and social functioning, and (2) investigate whether relations are similar in individuals with and without PD. We estimated an undirected network model in a sample of 504 PD, 572 familial risk for psychosis (FR), and 337 typical comparisons (TC), with a mean age of 34.9 years. Symptoms were assessed with the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ; 5 nodes) and the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE; 9 nodes). Social functioning was measured with the Social Functioning Scale (SFS; 7 nodes). We identified statistically significant differences between the FR and PD samples in global strength (P <. 001) and network structure (P <. 001). Our results show autistic symptoms (social interaction nodes) are negatively and more closely related to social functioning (withdrawal, interpersonal behavior) than psychotic symptoms. More and stronger connections between nodes were observed for the PD network than for FR and TC networks, while the latter 2 were similar in density (P =. 11) and network structure (P =. 19). The most central items in strength for PD were bizarre experiences, social skills, and paranoia. In conclusion, specific autistic symptoms are negatively associated with social functioning across the psychosis spectrum, but in the PD network symptoms may reinforce each other more easily. These findings emphasize the need for increased clinical awareness of comorbid autistic symptoms in psychotic individuals.
AB - Psychotic and autistic symptoms are related to social functioning in individuals with psychotic disorders (PD). The present study used a network approach to (1) evaluate the interactions between autistic symptoms, psychotic symptoms, and social functioning, and (2) investigate whether relations are similar in individuals with and without PD. We estimated an undirected network model in a sample of 504 PD, 572 familial risk for psychosis (FR), and 337 typical comparisons (TC), with a mean age of 34.9 years. Symptoms were assessed with the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ; 5 nodes) and the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE; 9 nodes). Social functioning was measured with the Social Functioning Scale (SFS; 7 nodes). We identified statistically significant differences between the FR and PD samples in global strength (P <. 001) and network structure (P <. 001). Our results show autistic symptoms (social interaction nodes) are negatively and more closely related to social functioning (withdrawal, interpersonal behavior) than psychotic symptoms. More and stronger connections between nodes were observed for the PD network than for FR and TC networks, while the latter 2 were similar in density (P =. 11) and network structure (P =. 19). The most central items in strength for PD were bizarre experiences, social skills, and paranoia. In conclusion, specific autistic symptoms are negatively associated with social functioning across the psychosis spectrum, but in the PD network symptoms may reinforce each other more easily. These findings emphasize the need for increased clinical awareness of comorbid autistic symptoms in psychotic individuals.
KW - autism
KW - functional outcome
KW - network analysis
KW - network models
KW - psychosis
KW - schizophrenia
U2 - 10.1093/schbul/sbab084
DO - 10.1093/schbul/sbab084
M3 - Article
C2 - 34313767
SN - 0586-7614
VL - 48
SP - 273
EP - 282
JO - Schizophrenia Bulletin
JF - Schizophrenia Bulletin
IS - 1
ER -