Associations of autistic traits, sleep/circadian factors, and mental health in a community-based survey study

Neha Deshpande; Siddhi Nair; Elise Taylor; Eus J.W. Van Someren; Sarah Laxhmi Chellappa

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2025.121019

Associations of autistic traits, sleep/circadian factors, and mental health in a community-based survey study

Neha Deshpande
, Siddhi Nair
, Elise Taylor
, Eus J.W. Van Someren^*
, Sarah Laxhmi Chellappa^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Autistic individuals experience a heightened risk of depression and lower quality of life; however, the biological underpinnings for this increased risk remain to be fully established. We assessed whether disruption of self-reported sleep and circadian factors mediates the associations of autistic traits with depression symptom severity and quality of life in a community-based survey study. A total of 838 participants (mean: 52.8 [ SD = 1.3] years, 70 % females) from a large-scale observational survey completed the Autism Quotient Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Cantril Ladder quality of life, Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. Higher autistic traits were significantly associated with higher depression symptom severity ( p = 0.04) and significantly lower quality of life ( p < 0.001). Insomnia severity and later chronotype partly mediated the association of autistic traits and depression symptom severity (respectively, β = -0.02, 95 % CI -0.03, -0.01; β = −0.02, 95 % CI =[−0.04, −0.01). Likewise, insomnia severity and later chronotype partly mediated theassociation of autistic traits with lower quality of life (respectively, β = - 0.09, 95 % CI -0.14, -0.02; β = −0.05, 95 % CI = −0.09, −0.01). Our findings indicate that autistic traits are associated with higher depression severity and lower quality of life, mediated by insomnia and chronotype. Future studies targeting insomnia complaints and later chronotype in autistic people may help alleviate their mental health complaints and increase quality of life.

Original language	English
Article number	121019
Pages (from-to)	1-7
Number of pages	7
Journal	Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume	398
Early online date	21 Dec 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.121019
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 21 Dec 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors.

Funding

E.V·S was supported by the European Research Council ( ERC-2021- ADG-101055383 OVERNIGHT). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The funder had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish it.

Funders	Funder number
European Research Council	ERC-2021- ADG-101055383 OVERNIGHT

Keywords

Autism
Chronotype
Depression
Insomnia
Quality of life

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10.1016/j.jad.2025.121019

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title = "Associations of autistic traits, sleep/circadian factors, and mental health in a community-based survey study",

abstract = "Autistic individuals experience a heightened risk of depression and lower quality of life; however, the biological underpinnings for this increased risk remain to be fully established. We assessed whether disruption of self-reported sleep and circadian factors mediates the associations of autistic traits with depression symptom severity and quality of life in a community-based survey study. A total of 838 participants (mean: 52.8 [ SD = 1.3] years, 70 \% females) from a large-scale observational survey completed the Autism Quotient Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Cantril Ladder quality of life, Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. Higher autistic traits were significantly associated with higher depression symptom severity ( p = 0.04) and significantly lower quality of life ( p < 0.001). Insomnia severity and later chronotype partly mediated the association of autistic traits and depression symptom severity (respectively, β = -0.02, 95 \% CI -0.03, -0.01; β = −0.02, 95 \% CI =[−0.04, −0.01). Likewise, insomnia severity and later chronotype partly mediated theassociation of autistic traits with lower quality of life (respectively, β = - 0.09, 95 \% CI -0.14, -0.02; β = −0.05, 95 \% CI = −0.09, −0.01). Our findings indicate that autistic traits are associated with higher depression severity and lower quality of life, mediated by insomnia and chronotype. Future studies targeting insomnia complaints and later chronotype in autistic people may help alleviate their mental health complaints and increase quality of life.",

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author = "Neha Deshpande and Siddhi Nair and Elise Taylor and \{Van Someren\}, \{Eus J.W.\} and Chellappa, \{Sarah Laxhmi\}",

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AU - Chellappa, Sarah Laxhmi

PY - 2025/12/21

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N2 - Autistic individuals experience a heightened risk of depression and lower quality of life; however, the biological underpinnings for this increased risk remain to be fully established. We assessed whether disruption of self-reported sleep and circadian factors mediates the associations of autistic traits with depression symptom severity and quality of life in a community-based survey study. A total of 838 participants (mean: 52.8 [ SD = 1.3] years, 70 % females) from a large-scale observational survey completed the Autism Quotient Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Cantril Ladder quality of life, Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. Higher autistic traits were significantly associated with higher depression symptom severity ( p = 0.04) and significantly lower quality of life ( p < 0.001). Insomnia severity and later chronotype partly mediated the association of autistic traits and depression symptom severity (respectively, β = -0.02, 95 % CI -0.03, -0.01; β = −0.02, 95 % CI =[−0.04, −0.01). Likewise, insomnia severity and later chronotype partly mediated theassociation of autistic traits with lower quality of life (respectively, β = - 0.09, 95 % CI -0.14, -0.02; β = −0.05, 95 % CI = −0.09, −0.01). Our findings indicate that autistic traits are associated with higher depression severity and lower quality of life, mediated by insomnia and chronotype. Future studies targeting insomnia complaints and later chronotype in autistic people may help alleviate their mental health complaints and increase quality of life.

AB - Autistic individuals experience a heightened risk of depression and lower quality of life; however, the biological underpinnings for this increased risk remain to be fully established. We assessed whether disruption of self-reported sleep and circadian factors mediates the associations of autistic traits with depression symptom severity and quality of life in a community-based survey study. A total of 838 participants (mean: 52.8 [ SD = 1.3] years, 70 % females) from a large-scale observational survey completed the Autism Quotient Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Cantril Ladder quality of life, Insomnia Severity Index, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. Higher autistic traits were significantly associated with higher depression symptom severity ( p = 0.04) and significantly lower quality of life ( p < 0.001). Insomnia severity and later chronotype partly mediated the association of autistic traits and depression symptom severity (respectively, β = -0.02, 95 % CI -0.03, -0.01; β = −0.02, 95 % CI =[−0.04, −0.01). Likewise, insomnia severity and later chronotype partly mediated theassociation of autistic traits with lower quality of life (respectively, β = - 0.09, 95 % CI -0.14, -0.02; β = −0.05, 95 % CI = −0.09, −0.01). Our findings indicate that autistic traits are associated with higher depression severity and lower quality of life, mediated by insomnia and chronotype. Future studies targeting insomnia complaints and later chronotype in autistic people may help alleviate their mental health complaints and increase quality of life.

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JO - Journal of Affective Disorders

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M1 - 121019

ER -

Associations of autistic traits, sleep/circadian factors, and mental health in a community-based survey study

Abstract

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