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The validity of using self-reports to assess emotion regulation abilities in adults with autism spectrum disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Sylvie Berthoz  and
Elisabeth L. Hill
Sylvie Berthoz*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, 42, Boulevard Jourdan, 75674Paris cedex 14, France
Elisabeth L. Hill
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London, London, UK
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: sylvie.berthoz@imm.fr (S. Berthoz).
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Abstract

Purpose

The current paper focused on the validity of using self-reports to assess emotion regulation abilities in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). To assess this we sought responses to two alexithymia self-reports and a depression self-report at two time points from adults with and without ASD.

Materials and methods

An initial sample of 27 adults with ASD and 35 normal adults completed the 20-item Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20), the Bermond and Vorst alexithymia questionnaire-form B (BVAQ-B), and the Beck depression inventory (BDI), at test time 1. Of these individuals, 19 ASD and 29 controls participated again after a period ranging from 4 to 12 months.

Results

ASD participants were able to report about their own emotions using self-reports. BVAQ-B showed reasonable convergent validity and test–retest reliability in both groups. Scores on both alexithymia scales were stable across the two participant groups. However, results revealed that although the TAS-20 total score discriminated between the two groups at both time points, the BVAQ-B total score did not. Moreover, the TAS-20 showed stronger test–retest reliability than the BVAQ-B.

Conclusion

ASD participants appeared more depressed and more alexithymic than the controls. The use of the BVAQ-B, as an additional assessment of alexithymia, indicated that ASD patients have a specific type of alexithymia characterised by increased difficulties in the cognitive domain rather than the affective aspects of alexithymia.

Keywords

Emotion regulationAlexithymiaAutism spectrum disorderTAS-20BVAQ
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , May 2005 , pp. 291 - 298
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier SAS 2005

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