Re: Autism vs. Aspergers: Depression in the Parents

[Guest guest]

This information would be more helpful if they asked if you were

diagnosed with depression BEFORE or AFTER your child's diagnosis.

Regards,

>

> The Sept. IAN report:

>

>

http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/ian_research_reports/ian_research_repor

> t_sep_2007

>

> has some interesting statistics. Apparently the parents of kids

with

> Asperger's syndrome are more depressed than the parents of kids

with

> Autism. Go figure.

>

>

**********************************************************************

> *

>

> As shown in Table 3, above, the percentage of mothers who have been

> diagnosed with or treated for Depression remained high across the

> board, at a rate of 44% for mothers of children with each Autism

> Spectrum Disorder (ASD) except Asperger's Syndrome. For mothers of

> children with Asperger's Syndrome the percentage was quite a bit

> higher: 55%. This is not what we had hypothesized. In fact, it was

> the opposite of what we thought we might find: more depressive

> history in mothers of more severely affected children.

>

> According to our analysis, 17% of fathers of children with PDD-NOS

> reported having been diagnosed with or treated for Depression. This

> figure rose to 26% for fathers of children with Autism, and 32% for

> fathers of children with Asperger's Syndrome. As occurred with

> mothers, fathers with children with Asperger's Syndrome reported

> having been diagnosed with or treated for Depression more

frequently

> than fathers of children with other ASD diagnoses.

>

> What might explain these differences? We don't have enough data to

> know at this time, but it is interesting to note that children with

> Asperger's were themselves the most likely of the children with

ASDs

> to have been diagnosed with or treated for Depression. As

illustrated

> in our first IAN Research Report, when we considered only children

> age ten and over (who would be more likely to have received

treatment

> for a psychiatric disorder than very young children), we found that

> 38% of children with Asperger's, 14% of children with PDD-NOS, and

> 10% of children with Autism had been diagnosed with or treated for

> Depression.

>

> This higher percentage of reported Depression in parents of

children

> with Asperger's Syndrome is also intriguing in light of a recent

> study which showed maternal recurrent mood disorders to be

associated

> with elevated cognitive and adaptive functioning in mothers'

affected

> children. 4 Whether this is due to hereditary factors or to the

> specific difficulties of raising a child with " mixed " functioning --

> very high in some areas, very low in others-- remains to be

explored.

>

> IAN is currently developing a detailed Maternal Depression

> Questionnaire. We hope the data collected via the new questionnaire

> will provide more in depth answers to our questions about

depression

> in mothers of children with ASDs.

>

[Guest guest]

I'd like a clarification on the comment " go figure " . Exactly what is that

supposed to mean?

Anne

-- Autism vs. Aspergers: Depression in the

Parents

The Sept. IAN report:

http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/ian_research_reports/ian_research_repor

t_sep_2007

has some interesting statistics. Apparently the parents of kids with

Asperger's syndrome are more depressed than the parents of kids with

Autism. Go figure.

**********************************************************************

*

As shown in Table 3, above, the percentage of mothers who have been

diagnosed with or treated for Depression remained high across the

board, at a rate of 44% for mothers of children with each Autism

Spectrum Disorder (ASD) except Asperger's Syndrome. For mothers of

children with Asperger's Syndrome the percentage was quite a bit

higher: 55%. This is not what we had hypothesized. In fact, it was

the opposite of what we thought we might find: more depressive

history in mothers of more severely affected children.

According to our analysis, 17% of fathers of children with PDD-NOS

reported having been diagnosed with or treated for Depression. This

figure rose to 26% for fathers of children with Autism, and 32% for

fathers of children with Asperger's Syndrome. As occurred with

mothers, fathers with children with Asperger's Syndrome reported

having been diagnosed with or treated for Depression more frequently

than fathers of children with other ASD diagnoses.

What might explain these differences? We don't have enough data to

know at this time, but it is interesting to note that children with

Asperger's were themselves the most likely of the children with ASDs

to have been diagnosed with or treated for Depression. As illustrated

in our first IAN Research Report, when we considered only children

age ten and over (who would be more likely to have received treatment

for a psychiatric disorder than very young children), we found that

38% of children with Asperger's, 14% of children with PDD-NOS, and

10% of children with Autism had been diagnosed with or treated for

Depression.

This higher percentage of reported Depression in parents of children

with Asperger's Syndrome is also intriguing in light of a recent

study which showed maternal recurrent mood disorders to be associated

with elevated cognitive and adaptive functioning in mothers' affected

children. 4 Whether this is due to hereditary factors or to the

specific difficulties of raising a child with " mixed " functioning --

very high in some areas, very low in others-- remains to be explored.

IAN is currently developing a detailed Maternal Depression

Questionnaire. We hope the data collected via the new questionnaire

will provide more in depth answers to our questions about depression

in mothers of children with ASDs.

Texas Autism Advocacy

www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

Texas Disability Network

Calendar of Events

www.TexasAutismAdvocacy.org

[Guest guest]

I'd say that the percentage of adults who are on antidepresants

is pretty large. I'm not sure what the top ten prescribed drugs are

right now, but I'm sure there's at least one antidepressant on the

list.

I work in a large pharmacy that provides for long term care patients

and every single woman that works in the front office, medical

records, or order entry is on an antidepressant. Also, may of the

techs and pharmacists are as well. I'd say at least 75% of the staff

takes something except me, the one that has 2 kids with special needs

(1 with ASD, 1 with apraxia).

Vicki

> >

> > The Sept. IAN report:

> >

> >

>

http://www.iancommunity.org/cs/ian_research_reports/ian_research_repor

> > t_sep_2007

> >

> > has some interesting statistics. Apparently the parents of kids

> with

> > Asperger's syndrome are more depressed than the parents of kids

> with

> > Autism. Go figure.

> >

> >

>

**********************************************************************

> > *

> >

> > As shown in Table 3, above, the percentage of mothers who have

been

> > diagnosed with or treated for Depression remained high across the

> > board, at a rate of 44% for mothers of children with each Autism

> > Spectrum Disorder (ASD) except Asperger's Syndrome. For mothers

of

> > children with Asperger's Syndrome the percentage was quite a bit

> > higher: 55%. This is not what we had hypothesized. In fact, it

was

> > the opposite of what we thought we might find: more depressive

> > history in mothers of more severely affected children.

> >

> > According to our analysis, 17% of fathers of children with PDD-

NOS

> > reported having been diagnosed with or treated for Depression.

This

> > figure rose to 26% for fathers of children with Autism, and 32%

for

> > fathers of children with Asperger's Syndrome. As occurred with

> > mothers, fathers with children with Asperger's Syndrome reported

> > having been diagnosed with or treated for Depression more

> frequently

> > than fathers of children with other ASD diagnoses.

> >

> > What might explain these differences? We don't have enough data

to

> > know at this time, but it is interesting to note that children

with

> > Asperger's were themselves the most likely of the children with

> ASDs

> > to have been diagnosed with or treated for Depression. As

> illustrated

> > in our first IAN Research Report, when we considered only

children

> > age ten and over (who would be more likely to have received

> treatment

> > for a psychiatric disorder than very young children), we found

that

> > 38% of children with Asperger's, 14% of children with PDD-NOS,

and

> > 10% of children with Autism had been diagnosed with or treated

for

> > Depression.

> >

> > This higher percentage of reported Depression in parents of

> children

> > with Asperger's Syndrome is also intriguing in light of a recent

> > study which showed maternal recurrent mood disorders to be

> associated

> > with elevated cognitive and adaptive functioning in mothers'

> affected

> > children. 4 Whether this is due to hereditary factors or to the

> > specific difficulties of raising a child with " mixed "

functioning --

> > very high in some areas, very low in others-- remains to be

> explored.

> >

> > IAN is currently developing a detailed Maternal Depression

> > Questionnaire. We hope the data collected via the new

questionnaire

> > will provide more in depth answers to our questions about

> depression

> > in mothers of children with ASDs.

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>