Longitudinal Relationships Between Depressive Attributional Style and Internalizing Symptoms in an Autism-Enriched Sample of Incoming College Students

Abstract

Background:

Anxiety and depression are among the most common psychiatric conditions reported in first-year college students. Autistic adults are estimated to face double the rate of anxiety and depression compared with non-autistic peers, influencing quality of life, social success, and academic performance. One potential avenue to understand and address internalizing symptoms in autistic adults beginning their college careers is depressive attributional style, a biased causal explanatory style in which negative life events are attributed to internal, stable, and global causes. The current study evaluates the relationship between depressive attributional style and symptoms of anxiety and depression across the first semester of college, as moderated by autistic traits. We also explore baseline depressive attributional style across additional marginalized aspects of identity based on race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, and examine potential interaction effects of autistic traits on these relationships.

Methods:

Undergraduate students were recruited from four northeastern universities. Our sample (n = 144) includes 47 participants who self-identified or reported a formal autism diagnosis, and 97 non-autistic participants. Participants completed baseline and endpoint questionnaires, as well as a 2-minute biweekly survey, tracking changes in sadness, anhedonia, and anxiety throughout their first semester.

Results:

Longitudinal analyses demonstrate that elevated depressive attributional style at baseline predicted biweekly anxiety, sadness, and anhedonia symptoms across the semester. This pattern extended across (was not moderated by) levels of autistic traits, however, participants who reported higher autistic traits endorsed a significantly greater depressive attributional style at baseline, and greater anxiety, sadness, and anhedonia throughout the semester. The relationship between autistic traits and depressive attributional style was strongest for participants with a nonheterosexual orientation.

Conclusion:

This study underscores the autistic community-identified need for mental health research, with attention to intersecting identities, and suggests depressive attributional style for further investigation as a potential treatment target.

Community Brief

Why is this an important issue?

In the first year of college, many students face challenges with anxiety and depression. Autistic students report even higher mental health concerns than non-autistic students. One way to understand why this happens is by looking at how college students explain negative events in their lives. Autistic students may have a more depressive attributional style, in which they see themselves as a cause of negative events and believe that bad things will persist. This outlook is known to contribute to anxiety and depression.

What was the purpose of this study?

We wanted to see how a depressive attributional style might relate to anxiety and depression over the first semester of college, and whether this is affected by autistic traits and stress. We also looked at how autistic traits influence the relationship between depressive attributional style and the marginalized aspects of identity based on race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.

What did the researchers do?

We gave surveys to college students about their attributional style and experiences with depression and anxiety. Participants completed several surveys both before and after their first semester at college. They also completed a brief survey two times per week during the semester.

What were the results of the study?

We found that a depressive attributional style at baseline (presemester) was related to depression and anxiety symptoms across the semester. Participants with higher levels of autistic traits reported a more depressive attributional style and greater depression and anxiety during the semester. Individuals with higher autistic traits who identify as LGBTQIA+ were more likely than heterosexual individuals with high autistic traits to have a more depressive attributional style.

What do these findings add to what was already known?

This study helps us understand that a depressive attributional style might be related to anxiety and depression in both autistic and non-autistic students. In addition, a depressive attributional style may be more common in autistic individuals. These findings could mean that helping people develop a more adaptive thinking about negative events could help prevent or treat anxiety and depression in college students.

What are potential weaknesses in the study?

Because we wanted our study to be accessible for autistic students without a formal diagnosis, we were unable to look at how the social identity of being autistic related to anxiety and depression throughout the semester.

How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?

These findings give us first evidence that a depressive attributional style appears to be related to anxiety and depression in autistic students. This suggests that interventions designed to address the depressive attributional style in non-autistic individuals could potentially benefit autistic individuals as well, which may support access to mental health treatment for the autistic community.