Anxiety and Depression Symptomology in Adult Siblings of Individuals with Autism

Abstract

Research into the effects that a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has on the family unit, specifically parents, abounded over the last several decades. The present study sought to evaluate the prevalence, sibship, age and biological sex effects on reported anxiety and depressive symptoms within a sample of adult siblings of an individual with ASD. Population. All participants (N = 500) were from the United States and were mostly Caucasian (93.2%) and even between biological male and female (51.2% female, 48% male), with an average age of 33 years old. Method. This exploratory study used an online survey, where respondents provided demographics and responded to a series of questions regarding their sibship. Respondents then took the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Their total GAD-7 scores and CES-D scores were analyzed with their age, sibship (older/younger/same), age distance from their sibling with ASD and biological sex. Results. 64.2% of adult siblings of individuals with ASD reported clinically significant anxious scores and 85% reported clinical depression. Among adult siblings, older siblings were more likely to experience both depressive and anxious symptoms. Siblings 8-13 years younger and >25 years older than their siblings with ASD were at the highest risk of experiencing these symptoms to a more extreme degree than other age distance siblings. Lastly, there was higher rates of depression in female siblings, but no sex differences for anxiety. Discussion. Limitations to this study are explored. Further research is needed to examine whether these findings were mitigated by sample size, demographic representation, study question limits, geography and more. The findings highlight the support needs of all members of the family of individuals with ASD.