Mood disorders in high-functioning autism: The importance of alexithymia and emotional regulation
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have co-morbid anxiety and depression.
Alexithymia and emotion regulation difficulties are commonly seen in individuals with ASD and
in mood disorders. We constructed a model hypothesizing a relationship between alexithymia
and emotional regulation that would mediate the relationship between autistic features and
anxiety/depression symptom severity. We collected data about emotional regulation,
alexithymia, autistic symptoms and depression/anxiety in a sample of 64 adults with ASD. We
constructed two serial multiple mediator models, using autistic features as the independent
variable and anxiety/depression symptoms as outcome variables. The serial relationship between
alexithymia and emotional regulation mediated associations between autistic features and
depression and anxiety, separately. The findings suggest that targeting alexithymia may benefit
therapies designed to alleviate mood disorders in ASD.