Brief Report: Links Between Nonconformity to Gender Norms, Autistic Features, and Internalizing Symptoms in a Non-clinical College Sample.
In college students, autistic traits and gender nonconformity each predict higher internalizing symptoms, with a slight amplification when both are present.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Scior et al. (2023) gave online surveys to college students without autism. They asked about autistic traits, gender nonconformity, and internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression.
The team wanted to know if students who felt less typical in their gender also felt more anxious or sad. They also tested if gender nonconformity made the link between autistic traits and mood problems stronger.
What they found
Students who scored higher on autistic traits also reported more gender nonconformity and more internalizing symptoms. Gender nonconformity slightly boosted the connection between autistic traits and depression.
In plain words: feeling different in both gender style and social style predicted the most mood trouble.
How this fits with other research
Liew et al. (2015) showed the same college link between autistic traits and anxiety years earlier. K et al. now add gender nonconformity as a new twist.
Callanan et al. (2021) found self-compassion can soften the autistic-traits-to-depression path. K et al. show gender nonconformity can widen that path.
Zukerman et al. (2019) saw higher social anxiety predict better grades in students with autism. K et al. show the opposite in neurotypical students: more anxiety pairs with more depression. The difference is population: diagnosed autism versus general college kids.
Why it matters
If you work with young adults, know that gender exploration and autistic traits can stack to raise mood risk. A quick screener for both areas can flag students who may need extra support or a referral to campus counseling. No fancy tools needed—just ask about comfort with gender roles when you assess for anxiety.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Research shows elevated gender variance among autistic people and more autistic traits among gender diverse people, each of which is related to mental health concerns. Little work has explored broad features of these presentations in a non-clinical sample. College students (n = 174) ages 18-22 years completed questionnaires assessing the broader autism phenotype (BAP), autistic features, nonconformity to gender norms, and internalizing symptoms. Those with more BAP features or autistic communication reported more nonconformity to gender norms. Higher levels of internalizing symptoms were related to more gender nonconformity, BAP, and autistic features. Gender nonconformity marginally moderated the effect of BAP on depression but not anxiety. The BAP, autistic features, and gender nonconformity are important in understanding mental well-being.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2023 · doi:10.1007/s11199-006-9019-x