Understanding the experience of anxiety in young people with ASD

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Understanding the experience of anxiety in young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

• IRAS ID

  203085

• Contact name

  Emma Lee

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Southampton

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 11 months, 3 days

• Research summary

  The research will explore the experience of anxiety in young people in Years 7-10 with a diagnosis of ASD. There will be a matched comparison group of young people experiencing elevated levels of anxiety without ASD. Initial screening in schools will identify pupils showing elevated worry. These will be invited to take part in further screening, to assess for anxiety symptoms, ASD diagnosis and cognitive ability. Parents and teachers will be asked to complete questionnaires. Pupils will then be asked to complete subjective and objective measures of anxiety, 5 times a day for 2 consecutive school days. Measures will be obtained via a palm-pilot device that will prompt pupils at specified times in the day to take a salivary cortisol sample, using a dental chew swab, and to answer several questions regarding their mood, the environment, their activity and who is around.
  Data will be analysed to explore factors that contribute to rated anxiety, whether this differs across groups (ASD and non-ASD), and whether pupil reported anxiety links to physiological levels of stress measured by the cortisol sample.
  Samples are taken throughout the day to explore the diurnal rhythm of cortisol levels, and to assess whether the rise in cortisol levels 30 minutes after wakening is seen in this population. The study will also explore correlation between self-report, parent report and teacher reported levels of anxiety.

• REC name

  South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/SC/0413

• Date of REC Opinion

  22 Sep 2016

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion