Prevalence of autistic traits and their relationships with other psychopathological domains in young adults seeking psychiatric attention: a cluster analysis

Introduction Nearly two-thirds of individuals with a mental disorder start experiencing symptoms during adolescence or early adulthood, and the onset of a mental disorder during this critical life stage strongly predicts adverse socioeconomic and health outcomes. Subthreshold manifestations of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), also called autistic traits, are known to be associated with a higher vulnerability to the development of other psychiatric disorders. Current psychopathological research has pointed out the shortcomings of a categorical approach to mental illnesses (e.g., the concept of comorbidity) whilst a dimensional approach allows the description of patients across multiple syndrome dimensions that, in turn, constitute broad spectra of interrelated psychopathologies. Objectives This study aimed to assess the presence of autistic traits in a population of young adults seeking specialist assistance, and to evaluate the study population across various psychopathological domains in order to determine their links with autistic traits. Methods We recruited a sample of 263 adolescents and young adults referring to a specialized outpatient clinic, and we administered them several self-report questionnaires for the evaluation of various psychopathological domains: the Autism Quotient, the Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised , RAADS-R, the Empathy Quotient, EQ, the Sensory Perception Quotient – Short Form, SPQ-SF35, the Beck Depression Inventory , BDI-II, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI-Y1 and Y2, the Eating Attitude Test-26 items , EAT-26, the Prodromal Questionnaire–short version , PQ-16, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 , PID-5-BF, the Pathological Narcissism Inventory , PNI. We then conducted a cluster analysis based on the prevalence of autistic traits (AQ, RAADS-R), empathy (EQ) and sensory sensitivity (SPQ-SF35) scores. Results The cluster analysis identified three distinct groups in the sample: an autistic traits (AT) cluster (22.43%), an intermediate cluster (45.25%), and a no-AT cluster (32.32%). Moreover, subjects with higher autistic traits exhibited significantly greater symptomatology across multiple psychopathological domains, including mood, anxiety, eating disorders severity, psychotic symptoms, and personality traits such as Detachment and Vulnerable Narcissism. Conclusions The study highlights the importance of identifying autistic traits in young individuals struggling with mental health concerns, and suggests a relationship between autistic traits and greater overall psychopathological burden. Additionally, the findings underscore the necessity of adopting a dimensional approach to psychopathology, in order to better understand the complex interplay of different psychiatric symptoms and facilitate tailored interventions. Disclosure of Interest None Declared