The Role of Emotion Regulation on Co-occurring Psychopathology in Emerging Adults with ASD

Deficits in emotion regulation (ER) are commonly observed in individuals with ASD and may contribute to elevated rates of psychiatric comorbidity. The objective of this study was to understand the relationship between ER (self-and caregiver-reported) and clinician-assigned mood and anxiety disorders in emerging adults with ASD (n = 27). Individuals with an anxiety or mood disorder demonstrated significantly greater involuntary engagement (IE) for ER than those without an anxiety or unipolar depression diagnosis. Furthermore, those without anxiety or depression reported significantly more voluntary engagement (VE). However, consistent with prior findings outside of ASD, IE appears closely associated with internalizing diagnoses, even when VE is also utilized. Research on clinical approaches to reduce reliance on involuntary approaches to emotion management should be pursued.