Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42387100›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

Assessing Camouflaging in Adolescence: Psychometric Evaluation of the German Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q/DE).

Johannes Boettcher, Holger Zapf, Anne Daubmann, Benno Schimmelmann, Carola Bindt, Sarah Hohmann, Jan Micheel

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05989685 (Psychometric Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05989685 recruitingnot on this map

Psychometric Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q/DE) in a German Population of Autistic and Non-autistic Adolescents.

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversitätsklinikum Hamburg-EppendorfRan2023 to 2025Enrolled622ConditionsAutism Spectrum Disorder
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

7 authors.

Johannes BoettcherDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. j.boettcher@uke.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9250-2494
Holger ZapfDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2398-5220
Anne DaubmannDepartment of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0156-0926
Benno SchimmelmannDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Carola BindtDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Sarah HohmannDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
Jan MicheelDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0003-9263-6240

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeCamouflaging refers to compensatory strategies used to conceal autistic traits and has been shown to negatively affect the mental health of autistic individuals. As no German instrument currently exists to measure camouflaging, this study aimed to validate a German translation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q/DE) in autistic and non-autistic adolescents.

methodsConfirmatory factor analyses tested the original three-factor CAT-Q model in German adolescents (N = 164 autistic, N = 482 non-autistic) using self- and parent-report data. Measurement invariance, rater agreement, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity were evaluated.

resultsThe three-factor structure was confirmed, and scalar measurement invariance was fully established for sex and age group in both self- and parent-reports. CAT-Q/DE scores were higher in the autism sample than the non-autism sample, with gender differences observed only in the autism group, where females scored higher than males. CAT-Q/DE scores showed moderate to strong associations with anxiety, depression, and stress. Test-retest reliability was moderate in the non-autism sample. Rater agreement was moderate in the autism group and high in the non-autism group.

conclusionThe CAT-Q/DE is a reliable and valid self- and parent-report measure for camouflaging in German-speaking adolescents. Further research on camouflaging development and consequences is needed.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov-NCT05989685.

Indexed as

AdolescenceAutismCamouflagingValidation

Identifiers

PMID42387100

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