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The following is a summary of “Autism spectrum disorder, social anxiety and obsessive–compulsive disorders: beyond the comorbidity,” published in the January 2025 issue of Psychiatry by Dell’Osso et al. 

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is commonly comorbid with anxiety and obsessive–compulsive disorders (OCD). Recent studies suggest a neurodevelopmental basis for these co-occurring mental health conditions. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore the distribution of social-phobic, obsessive–compulsive, and panic-agoraphobic traits in individuals with ASD, social anxiety disorder (SAD), OCD, and panic disorder (PD). 

They assessed 40 participants with ASD, 40 with SAD, 40 with OCD, 40 with PD, and 50 healthy controls using the Social Anxiety Spectrum—Short Version (SHY-SV) questionnaire, the Obsessive—Compulsive Spectrum—Short Version (OBS-SV) questionnaire and the Panic Agoraphobic Spectrum—Short Version (PAS-SV) questionnaires. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Kruskal–Wallis test and Chi-square test. 

The results showed that the SAD group had the highest SHY-SV scores, followed by individuals with ASD, significantly surpassing other diagnostic groups. In the OBS-SV scores, individuals with ASD ranked second, only behind the OCD group, with significantly higher scores than the PD group and healthy controls. For PAS-SV scores, the ASD group had the highest scores after the PD group, but the difference was not statistically significant compared to other groups. 

Investigators highlighted the central role of the autism spectrum in SAD and OCD, supporting the neurodevelopmental basis for these conditions and reinforcing an interconnected view of mental health. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06340-8