Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40891268›Full record

ArticleChild and adolescent mental health2025

Bridging the gap: unveiling key links between autism and anxiety symptoms in autistic children and youth using a network analysis in pooled data from four countries.

Anat Zaidman-Zait, Matthew J Hollocks, Connor M Kerns, Iliana Magiati, Alana J McVey, Isabel M Smith, Rachael Bedford, Teresa Bennett, Eric Duku, Stelios Georgiades and 11 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Child and adolescent mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

21 authors.

Anat Zaidman-ZaitTel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.ORCID 0000-0002-2336-5147
Matthew J HollocksInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9513-6917
Connor M KernsUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-0832-8329
Iliana MagiatiThe University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7261-7366
Alana J McVeyCenter for Behavioral Medicine, Brookfield, WI, USA.
Isabel M SmithDalhousie University and IWK Health, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Rachael BedfordInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-8581-055X
Teresa BennettMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Eric DukuMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Stelios GeorgiadesMcMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Annie RichardDalhousie University and IWK Health, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Tracy VaillancourtUniversity of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Lonnie ZwaigenbaumUniversity of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
Antonio HardanStanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Robin LiboveStanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Jacqui RodgersNewcastle University, Newcastle, UK.
Mikle SouthEmory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-0152-1257
Emily SimonoffInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Amy Van HeckeMarquette University, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Mirko UljarevićStanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
Peter SzatmariThe Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Funding

Alberta Innovates Health SolutionsAutism SpeaksCIHR FDN 93621CIHR HDF-70333Kids Brain Health NetworkSinneave Family FoundationThe Government of British ColumbiaThe National University of Singapore, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAutistic children experience significantly higher rates of anxiety compared to nonautistic children. The precise relations between autism characteristics and anxiety symptoms remain unclear in this population. Previous work has explored associations at the domain level, which involve examining broad categories or clusters of symptoms, rather than the relationships between specific symptoms and/or individual characteristics. We addressed this gap by taking a network approach to understand the shared structure of autism characteristics and anxiety symptoms.

methodData were pooled from five studies from Canada, Singapore, the UK, and the USA, totaling 623 autistic children (17% female sex; aged 6-18 years), for whom the parent-report Spence Children's Anxiety Scale (SCAS-P) was available. We derived two undirected regularized networks, first from the SCAS-P items only, and then by adding autism characteristics pertaining to social communication, highly focused and repetitive behavior, and sensory hypersensitivity. From these models' metrics, we extracted nodes' predictability, key bridging nodes, and community detection.

resultsThe anxiety-only network was highly connected and consisted of four key clusters: General Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Separation Anxiety, and Panic/Agoraphobia. These broadly aligned with the existing SCAS-P structure based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. In the autism-anxiety network, the structure of anxiety remained mostly stable, with autism features forming their own community. Preference for predictability (i.e., sameness) and sensory hypersensitivity were key nodes that linked autistic features and anxiety symptoms, primarily through generalized anxiety.

conclusionThis study identified some of the key characteristics that bridge the broadly independent structures of autism characteristics and anxiety symptoms. The findings are discussed in the context of guiding the assessment, prevention, and treatment of anxiety in autism.

Indexed as

AnxietyAutism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderAdolescentCanadaChildFemaleHumansMaleSingaporeUnited KingdomUnited StatesanxietyAutism spectrum disorderssymptomatology

Identifiers

PMID40891268
PMCPMC12573069

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.