Friendship and Anxiety/Depression Symptoms in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Among higher-IQ autistic boys, anxiety and depression symptoms reduce the number of close friendships they report.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Harkins et al. (2023) asked higher-IQ autistic boys how many close friends they have.
They also measured each boy’s anxiety and depression symptoms.
The team wanted to see if more symptoms went hand-in-hand with fewer friends.
What they found
Boys who reported more anxiety or depression also reported fewer close friendships.
The link stayed strong even after the researchers checked for IQ and autism severity.
How this fits with other research
Lasgaard et al. (2010) found the same boys felt lonelier a decade earlier.
Redquest et al. (2021) moved the idea forward by showing loneliness explains why autism traits lead to adult anxiety and depression.
Ratcliffe et al. (2015) widened the lens: poor social skills predicted mental-health trouble in both boys and girls aged 6-13.
Together the papers draw a straight line — weak social ties raise the risk of internalizing problems across the lifespan.
Why it matters
If a teen on your caseload names only one or zero close friends, screen for anxiety and depression right away.
Boosting friendship skills or setting up peer networks may ease internalizing symptoms before they deepen.
Get CEUs on This Topic — Free
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ on-demand CEUs including ethics, supervision, and clinical topics like this one. Plus a new live CEU every Wednesday.
Ask each client to list his close friends; if the list is short, run a quick anxiety-depression screener.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The transition to adolescence may be a challenging time for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This developmental period is marked by increased social demands and increasing anxiety and depression symptoms for many individuals with autism. As both of these factors may compound social difficulties and impact friendship experiences, this study explored the relations among autism symptom severity, internalizing symptoms, and friendship experiences in boys with and without ASD (with IQ > 75). Results showed that internalizing symptoms predicted quantity of close friendships in the ASD group. Given the observed relationship between internalizing symptoms and friendship experiences, social skills intervention programs should address possible internalizing symptoms associated with establishing/maintaining social relationships and perceived friendship quality.
American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2023 · doi:10.1352/1944-7558-128.2.119