Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/31777
Title: Girls' cortisol concentrations, mothers' anxiety, and self- versus parent-ratings of autistic girls' anxiety
Contributor(s): Bitsika, Vicki  (author)orcid ; Sharpley, Christopher F  (author)orcid ; Mandy, Will (author); McMillan, Mary E  (author)orcid ; Agnew, Linda L  (author)orcid 
Publication Date: 2021-03
Early Online Version: 2020-12-24
DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2020.101718
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/31777
Abstract: 

Background: Autistic girls’ change in salivary cortisol concentrations from morning to afternoon were compared with their parents’ own anxiety states as potential correlates of the autistic girls’ self-ratings of their anxiety and those given by their parents about their daughters’ anxiety.

Methods: Thirty-three autistic girls (6 yr to 10 yr, M = 8.21 yr, SD = 1.29 yr) and 19 autistic adolescent females (11 yr to 15 yr, M = 12.74 yr, SD = 1.52 yr) completed anxiety inventories about themselves and provided saliva samples in the morning and afternoon. Their mothers also rated their daughters’ anxiety and their own anxiety.

Results: There were no significant differences between mothers’ and daughters’ ratings of the latter’s GAD. The autistic girls’ self-ratings of their anxiety were more strongly influenced by their mothers’ anxiety in the younger girls, but more responsive to their own chronic stress state (i.e., cortisol) in the adolescent girls.

Conclusions: Mothers’ evaluations of their autistic daughters’ anxiety appear to be strongly influenced by their own anxiety. There was also some indication that autistic girls may disguise their anxiety.

Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, v.81, p. 1-10
Publisher: Elsevier Inc
Place of Publication: United States of America
ISSN: 1878-0237
1750-9467
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 320903 Central nervous system
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 200409 Mental health
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Science and Technology

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