Investigating associations between cognitiveempathy, affective empathy and anxiety inadolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is strongly associated with socio-cognitive impairments that may result in vulnerability to other mental health conditions, particularly anxiety disorders. This study examined the relationship between anxiety disorders and two key socio-cognitive impairments (cognitive empathy, affective empathy) in 60 adolescents (aged 11–18 years) with and without ASD. Adolescents with ASD showed cognitive empathy was negatively associated with separation anxiety disorder, whereas positive associations between affective empathy and generalized anxiety disorder, and positive marginal associations between affective empathy, social phobia, total anxiety, and separation anxiety disorder were observed. These findings suggest that cognitive and affective empathy show different patterns of associations with anxiety-related issues in ASD, and these differences should be considered for interventions and treatment programs

Otizm spektrum bozukluğundaki sosyal kaygının bilişsel ve duygusal empati ile ilişkisinin incelenmesi

Bu araştırmanın temel amacı Otizm Spectrum Bozukluğu (OSB) olan çocuk ve ergenlerdeki sosyal kaygının bilişsel ve duygusal empati ile ilişkisini incelemektir. Bu amaçla, özel eğitim merkezleri ve devlet okullarından 38 OSB tanısı almış çocuk ve ergen ile yaş ve cinsiyetleri eşleşen 38 kontrol çocuk ve ergen katılımcı ve onların ailelerine ulaşılmıştır. Katılımcılara Gözler Testi, Temel Empati Ölçeği, Empati ve Sistematizasyon Ölçeği, Revize Edilmiş Çocuk Kaygı Ölçeği uygulanmıştır. Bu çalışmada, değişkenli korelasyon ve kısmi korelasyon analizleri kullanılmıştır ve bunun sonucunda OSB grubundaki çocuk ve ergenlerde, duygusal empati arttıkça, kaygı ve sosyal kaygı düzeyinin arttığı bulunmuştur. Kontrol grubundaki çocuk ve ergenlerde ise, bilişsel empati arttıkça kaygı ve sosyal kaygı düzeylerinin azaldığı yaşın etkisi olmadan gösterilmiştir ve ayrıca duygusal empati ile çocuk ve ergenlerin yaşı arasında negatif yönlü bir ilişki olduğu bulunmuştur. Doğrusal regresyon analizleri sonucunda, OSB’li grup için, duygusal empatinin hem kaygı düzeyini hem sosyal kaygı düzeyini pozitif yönlü ve anlamlı derecede yordadığı gösterilmiş ve kaygı düzeyinin duygusal empati ve sosyal kaygı arasındaki ilişkide aracı faktör olduğu bulunmuştur. Kontrol grubu için ise bilişsel empatinin katılımcıların kaygı düzeyini negatif yönlü ve anlamlı derecede yordadığı görülmüştür. Ebeveyn cevaplarına göre ise OSB’li grubunda empati, sosyal kaygı ve kaygı arasında anlamlı bir ilişki bulunamamışken kontrol grubunda empati ile kaygı arasında negatif yönlü ve anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmuştur. T-test analizleri sonucunda, OSB’li grubun bilişsel empati ve Gözler Testi sonuçları kontrol grubunun sonuçlarından düşük olduğu görülürken, duygusal empati, sosyal kaygı ve genel kaygı düzeyinde anlamlı bir fark bulunamamıştır. Öz bildirim ve ebeveyn bildirim sonuçları karşılaştırıldığında, kaygı ve sosyal kaygı düzeylerinde anlamlı bir fark olduğu bulunmuştur. Kaygı ve sosyal kaygı düzeylerinin öz bildirim sonuçlarında daha yüksek olduğu gösterilmiştir. Çalışmanın bulguları, literatüre katkıları ve eksiklikleri tartışılmıştır.The main aim of the current study is to examine the relationship between cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and social anxiety in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) via self-report and parent-report. For this purpose, 38 children and adolescents with ASD, 38 control participants matched for age and gender, and their 76 caregivers were recruited from special education and rehabilitation centres and public schools. The Eyes Test, Basic Empathy Scale, Empathy, and Systemizing Quotient, The Revised Child Anxiety Subscale were applied to participants. As a result of correlation analyses, it was found that affective empathy is increasing in children and adolescents with ASD, anxiety and social anxiety are also increasing. For the control group, while cognitive empathy is increasing, anxiety and social anxiety are decreasing without effects of age and the age of the control group is negatively correlated with affective empathy. As a result of linear regression analyses, while affective empathy positively predicts anxiety and social anxiety in ASD and anxiety is the mediator factor in the relationship between social anxiety and affective empathy, cognitive empathy significantly negatively predicts anxiety in the control group. In terms of parent-report, there is no relationship between empathizing, anxiety and social anxiety in ASD; however, the moderate negative relationship between empathizing, social anxiety and anxiety was found in the control group. As a result of t-test analyses, while children and adolescents with ASD have significantly lower scores in cognitive empathy and The Eyes Test, they did not show significant differences in affective empathy, anxiety and social anxiety from the control group. Comparing self-report and parent-report, significant differences were found in anxiety and social anxiety. Means of self-report were significantly higher than the means of parent-report. Findings of the study, contributions to the literature and limitations were discussed

Reducing test anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparison of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy

Educational assessments can affect students' mental health, particularly during a pandemic. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are widely efficacious for reducing test anxiety, as well as general anxiety and rumination. However, the effectiveness of these two therapies for students during COVID-19 is unclear. We measured the effectiveness of ACT and CBT for managing test anxiety, general anxiety, and rumination during COVID-19 for 77 students taking Türkiye's national university entrance exam, assigned to either the ACT or CBT psychoeducation programs. Both programs reduced test anxiety, general anxiety, and rumination, and showed similar levels of effectiveness. This suggests that ACT and CBT are both important for improving students' mental health during COVID-19 and either may be beneficial

Videoconferencing-based cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety and depression during COVID-19 pandemic

The need for psychosocial intervention programmes to address the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated lockdown restrictions on the mental health of young people is evident. Using a within subject pretest-posttest design, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)-based anxiety and depression management psychoeducation programmes on mental health and coping skills in youth ages 14–20. The Demographic Information Form, Revised Child Anxiety Depression Scale, and KidCope were administered before and after the psychoeducational programme to assess programme outcomes. The results indicate significant decreases in levels of anxiety, significant decreases in avoidance of anxiety-provoking situations and significant increases in coping skills following the online CBT Anxiety Management Psychoeducation Program. A significant decrease in depression scores was noted among the online CBT Depression Management Psychoeducation Program participants. Although these results should be interpreted cautiously due to limitations of the study (e.g., no control group, high attrition), they suggest that psychological prevention or intervention programmes may be beneficial for young people who are physically unable to go to school or who cannot interact face-to-face with social support networks.WOS:00079771190000