Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42747661›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

Anxiety as a Moderator Between Autistic/ADHD Traits and Quality of Life in Autistic Children and Adolescents.

Samara Osten, Melissa Susko, Charee Botha, Jessica Jones, Marc Woodbury-Smith, Julia Frei, Stelios Georgiades, Rob Nicolson, Elisabeta Trinari, Evdokia Anagnostou and 1 more

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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. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
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0citing papers in PubMed
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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.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Samara OstenDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Melissa SuskoDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Charee BothaDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Jessica JonesDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Marc Woodbury-SmithDepartment of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
Julia FreiDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Stelios GeorgiadesDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Rob NicolsonDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
Elisabeta TrinariDepartment of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Evdokia AnagnostouHolland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Elizabeth KelleyDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. kelleyb@queensu.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7742-6542

Funding

Ontario Brain Institute Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAnxiety is associated with lower well-being in autistic children, yet little is known about how anxiety symptoms moderate the relationship between neurodivergent traits and Quality of Life (QoL).

methodsThe present study analyzed data from 316 clinician-diagnosed autistic children aged 7-17 from the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network. QoL, depression (as a control variable), anxiety, autistic traits, and ADHD traits were assessed. We expected anxiety to interact with autistic and ADHD traits in their associations with QoL domains.

resultsRegression analyses revealed that after controlling for depression, greater anxiety was associated with reduced school QoL. Additionally, greater ADHD hyperactive-impulsive (ADHD-HI) traits were associated with lower family QoL, while greater ADHD inattentive (ADHD-I) traits were associated with lower self-esteem QoL. Autistic traits were associated with lower friendship QoL but higher school QoL. There were interactions between ADHD-HI traits and anxiety. At high levels of anxiety, ADHD-HI traits were associated with higher school and self-esteem QoL. At low levels of anxiety, ADHD-HI traits were associated with lower friendship QoL. No significant associations were found for the interaction between ADHD-I traits and anxiety, or for the interaction between autistic traits and anxiety.

conclusionsThese results introduce novel insights into how autistic traits, ADHD traits and anxiety interact in their associations with QoL in autistic children. Given that no corrections were made for multiple comparisons, this study should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating, intended to inspire future research that adopts a trait-based approach in studying the QoL of neurodiverse children.

Indexed as

AnxietyAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderAutismQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID42747661

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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.