Panic-agoraphobic symptoms in adults with ASD: the role of ruminative thinking and inflexibility

Background: Scientific literature has highlighted the link between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anxiety disorders, but few studies have delved into the relationship between ASD and panic-agoraphobic disorders. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between autism spectrum and panic-agoraphobic symptoms, examining whether and which autistic domains are predictive of the presence of specific panic-agoraphobic symptoms.

Materials and methods: Forty-five adult subjects with ASD and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were evaluated through the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5, Research Version and assessed with the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) and the Panic-Agoraphobic - Short Version (PAS-SV) questionnaires. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, and a set of linear and logistic regression analyses.

Results: The PAS-SV total and domain scores were significantly higher in the ASD group than in the HC group. A higher AdAS total score appeared to be predictive of a higher PAS-SV total score. The AdAS domain Restricted Interests and Rumination would increase the risk of obtaining higher PAS-SV total and domain scores. Conversely, the AdAS Spectrum domain Inflexibility and Adherence to Routine would predict lower total PAS-SV score.

Conclusion: This study revealed a greater representation of panic-agoraphobic symptoms in adults with ASD, as well as an increased risk of showing such symptoms in the presence of significant autistic traits. Restricted interests and ruminative thinking emerged as predominant risk factors for panic-agoraphobic manifestations.