Sleep determines quality of life in autistic adults: A longitudinal study

Marie K. Deserno*, Denny Borsboom, Sander Begeer, Joost A. Agelink van Rentergem, Kawita Mataw, Hilde M. Geurts

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Many individuals with autism report generally low quality of life (QoL). Identifying predictors for pathways underlying this outcome is an urgent priority. We aim to examine multivariate patterns that predict later subjective and objective QoL in autistic individuals. Autistic characteristics, comorbid complaints, aspects of daily functioning, and demographics were assessed online in a 2-year longitudinal study with 598 autistic adults. Regression trees were fitted to baseline data to identify factors that could predict QoL at follow-up. We found that sleep problems are an important predictor of later subjective QoL, while the subjective experience of a person's societal contribution is important when it comes to predicting the level of daily activities. Sleep problems are the most important predictor of QoL in autistic adults and may offer an important treatment target for improving QoL. Our results additionally suggest that social satisfaction can buffer this association. Autism Research 2019, 12: 794–801.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)794-801
Number of pages8
JournalAutism Research
Volume12
Issue number5
Early online date10 Apr 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2019

Funding

Denny Borsboom is supported by ERC Consolidator Grant No. 647209. Hilde Geurts was supported by the NWO VICI Grant No. 453-16-006. This research project is supported by ZonMW Grant No. 70-73400-98-002.

FundersFunder number
NWO VICI453-16-006
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme647209
European Research Council
ZonMw70-73400-98-002

    Keywords

    • autistic adults
    • large-scale longitudinal data
    • quality of life
    • regression tree analysis
    • sleep problems

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Sleep determines quality of life in autistic adults: A longitudinal study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this