The relationship between autistic traits and chronotype in individuals diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

There is a lack of research in the literature regarding the relationship between chronotype and autistic traits. This study aimed to examine the associations between chronotype, psychiatric symptoms, and autistic traits in children and adolescents diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 97 children and adolescents with ADHD, aged between 8 and 17 years, were included in the study. Parents completed the Social Responsiveness Scale, Conners' Parent Rating Scale-Revised: Short Form, and the Childhood Chronotype Questionnaire. Children and adolescents completed the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - Child Version. No significant differences in chronotype preferences were found between groups with high and low levels of autistic traits. Chronotype was significantly and positively correlated with depressive symptoms, social phobia, separation anxiety, and ADHD subdimensions. In the hierarchical regression analysis, the third model, which included psychiatric symptoms and autistic traits, explained 26.2% of the variance in chronotype preferences. In this model, depressive symptoms and oppositional behaviors related to ADHD significantly predicted chronotype preferences. The current study may contribute to understanding the etiological mechanisms linking chronotype with psychopathology and may help improve the clinical management of children with ADHD.