The link between emotion regulation, social functioning, and depression in boys with ASD

Purpose: Symptoms of depression are common in children and adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but information about underlying developmental factors is limited. Depression is often linked to aspects of emotional functioning such as coping strategies, but in children with ASD difficulties with social interactions are also a likely contributor to depressive symptoms. Methodology: We examined several aspects of emotional coping (approach, avoidant, maladaptive) and social functioning (victimization, negative friendship interactions) and their relation to depression symptoms in children with ASD (N = 63) and typically developing (TD) peers (N = 57). Children completed a battery of self-report questionnaires. Results: Less approach and avoidant, but more maladaptive coping strategies, and poor social functioning were uniquely associated with more symptoms of depression in children with ASD. Only less approach and more maladaptive coping were uniquely associated with depression severity in TD boys. Conclusions: Unlike TD boys, boys with ASD who report using avoidant strategies to deal with stressful situations report fewer symptoms of depression, suggesting that this may be an adaptive emotion regulation strategy. However, understanding the role of over-arousal in this process, inferences about long-term effects of this strategy, its causality and direction of effects will require additional research.