Developmental antecedents of social anhedonia: The roles of early temperament and sex

Social Anhedonia Accounts for Greater Variance in Internalizing Symptoms than Autism Symptoms in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth

PURPOSE

Social anhedonia is a transdiagnostic trait that reflects reduced pleasure from social interaction. It has historically been associated with autism, however, very few studies have directly examined behavioral symptoms of social anhedonia in autistic youth. We investigated rates of social anhedonia in autistic compared to non-autistic youth and the relative contributions of autism and social anhedonia symptoms to co-occurring mental health.

METHODS

Participants were 290 youth (Mage=13.75, Nautistic=155) ranging in age from 8 to 18. Youth completed a cognitive assessment and a diagnostic interview. Their caregiver completed questionnaires regarding symptoms of autism and co-occurring psychiatric conditions.

RESULTS

Autistic youth were more likely to meet criteria for social anhedonia than non-autistic youth. There was a significant positive relationship between age and social anhedonia symptom severity, but there was no association between sex and social anhedonia. Dominance analysis revealed that social anhedonia symptom severity had the strongest association with symptoms of depression and social anxiety, while symptoms of ADHD, generalized anxiety, and separation anxiety were most strongly associated with autism symptom severity.

CONCLUSION

This was the first study to tease out the relative importance of social anhedonia and autism symptoms in understanding psychiatric symptoms in autistic youth. Findings revealed higher rates of social anhedonia in autistic youth. Our results indicate that social anhedonia is an important transdiagnostic trait that plays a unique role in understanding co-occurring depression and social anxiety in autistic youth. Future research should utilize longitudinal data to test the transactional relationships between social anhedonia and internalizing symptoms over time.

Diminished hedonic capacity in social activities as a mediator of the link between dysfunctional behavioral activation system and depressive symptoms

Background

Adolescence is a crucial period for the development of depression, and previous studies have suggested that the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) plays a significant role. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of anhedonia in the relationship between BAS and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents.

Method

A total of 1,023 high-school students aged 15-18 years participated in the study, with 916 continuing their participation three months later. All participants completed the Behavioral Inhibition System/Activation System (BIS/BAS) scale, Dimensional Anhedonia Rating Scale (DARS), Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S/T). Pathway model analysis was performed to examine the concurrent and prospective mediating effects of anhedonia and the potential moderating effect of sex.

Result

Anhedonia in the domains of social activities, hobbies and sensory experiences significantly mediated the cross-sectional relationship between BAS and depressive level three months later. Furthermore, the beta-value of the mediating effect of social activities was significantly higher than that of the other domains of hedonic capacity cross-sectionally and longitudinally. However, sex showed no significant moderating effect.

Conclusion

Our findings underscore the importance of hedonic capacity, especially within the social domain, in the development of depressive symptoms. These findings contribute to the early diagnosis and prevention of depressive disorders.

Origins of Anhedonia in Childhood and Adolescence

Anhedonia reflects a reduced ability to engage in previously pleasurable activities and has been reported in children as young as 3 years of age. It manifests early and is a strong predictor of psychiatric disease onset and progression over the course of development and into adulthood. However, little is known about its mechanistic origins, particularly in childhood and adolescence. In this chapter, we provide a socio-cognitive model of the development of anhedonia. This model is substantiated by past literature presented in this chapter to account for how the individual trajectories of emotion knowledge, autobiographical memory, and self-concept representations contribute to the onset, persistence, and progression of anhedonia from early childhood through adolescence.