Emotion regulation as a mediator between depressive symptoms and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in adults with ASD and intellectual disabilities.

• Results supported the relationship between emotional regulation, depressive symptomatology and ASD. • Transdiagnostic variables had a greater predictive weight for depressive symptomatology than the clinical variables. • Emotion regulation had a mediating role between ASD and depression symptoms. Depressive symptoms in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are common. Transdiagnostic factors as executive functions and emotional regulation strategies can explain the relationship between depressive symptoms and ASD. 121 adults (M = 35.46 years, SD = 9.46) with ASD and intellectual disabilities (ID) were evaluated to determine the predictive and mediating role of executive functioning and emotional regulation strategies. Transdiagnostic variables related to emotion regulation correlated with depressive symptoms; however, executive dysfunction was not associated with depression. Hierarchical linear regression showed emotional regulation strategies were a predictor of depression. A multiple mediation analysis also supported the mediating role of emotional regulation variables between ASD and depression. These findings suggest that emotional regulation (ER) strategies can play an important role in the genesis and development of depressive symptomatology in adults with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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