Emotion Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Effects on Anxiety and Depression- A Scoping Review

Abstract

Comorbid conditions, such as anxiety and depression, pose diagnostic challenges due to their complex interaction with core autism spectrum disorder features. Emotion regulation is a key concept in the transdiagnostic framework which suggests shared cognitive and behavioral processes among mental disorders. The review aims to examine the emotion regulation effects on anxiety and depression in autism spectrum disorder. A systematic search was conducted from December 2022. to May 2023., using SCOPUS and Google Scholar, with predefined eligibility criteria. Analysis of the twelve included publications unveiled emotion regulation challenges in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Importantly, these maladaptive strategies were found to be significantly linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression. These findings emphasize the need for interventions that specifically target and improve emotion regulation in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. By enhancing their emotional regulation skills, it may be possible to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression in this population.