Asperger syndrome in childhood - Personality dimensions in adult life : Temperament, character and outcome trajectories
(2016) In BJPsych Open 2(3). p.210-216- Abstract
Background: Temperament and character have been shown to be important factors in understanding psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorder. Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have repeatedly been shown to have a distinct temperament and character, but this has not been evaluated in relation to psychiatric comorbidity and ASD diagnostic stability. Aims: To examine temperament and character in males that were diagnosed with ASD in childhood and followed prospectively over almost two decades. Method: Temperament and character were assessed in 40 adult males with a childhood diagnosis of ASD. Results were analysed by the stability of ASD diagnosis over time and current psychiatric comorbidity. Results: Three distinct temperament and... (More)
Background: Temperament and character have been shown to be important factors in understanding psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorder. Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have repeatedly been shown to have a distinct temperament and character, but this has not been evaluated in relation to psychiatric comorbidity and ASD diagnostic stability. Aims: To examine temperament and character in males that were diagnosed with ASD in childhood and followed prospectively over almost two decades. Method: Temperament and character were assessed in 40 adult males with a childhood diagnosis of ASD. Results were analysed by the stability of ASD diagnosis over time and current psychiatric comorbidity. Results: Three distinct temperament and character profiles emerged from the data. Those no longer meeting criteria for ASD had high reward dependence while those with a stable ASD diagnosis and psychiatric comorbidity showed elevated harm avoidance and low self-directedness and cooperativeness. Finally, those with a stable ASD and no comorbidity showed low novelty seeking and somewhat elevated harm avoidance. Conclusions: Temperament and character are important factors correlated with long-term diagnostic stability and psychiatric comorbidity in males diagnosed with ASD in childhood.
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- author
- Helles, Adam ; Carina Gillberg, I. ; Gillberg, Christopher ; Billstedt, Eva and Wallinius, Märta LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2016
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- BJPsych Open
- volume
- 2
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85047108634
- ISSN
- 2056-4724
- DOI
- 10.1192/bjpo.bp.116.002741
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.
- id
- 201b492f-5e14-4455-8929-96dc0ce3952f
- date added to LUP
- 2023-08-31 11:13:08
- date last changed
- 2025-10-14 13:14:10
@article{201b492f-5e14-4455-8929-96dc0ce3952f,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Temperament and character have been shown to be important factors in understanding psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorder. Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have repeatedly been shown to have a distinct temperament and character, but this has not been evaluated in relation to psychiatric comorbidity and ASD diagnostic stability. Aims: To examine temperament and character in males that were diagnosed with ASD in childhood and followed prospectively over almost two decades. Method: Temperament and character were assessed in 40 adult males with a childhood diagnosis of ASD. Results were analysed by the stability of ASD diagnosis over time and current psychiatric comorbidity. Results: Three distinct temperament and character profiles emerged from the data. Those no longer meeting criteria for ASD had high reward dependence while those with a stable ASD diagnosis and psychiatric comorbidity showed elevated harm avoidance and low self-directedness and cooperativeness. Finally, those with a stable ASD and no comorbidity showed low novelty seeking and somewhat elevated harm avoidance. Conclusions: Temperament and character are important factors correlated with long-term diagnostic stability and psychiatric comorbidity in males diagnosed with ASD in childhood.</p>}},
author = {{Helles, Adam and Carina Gillberg, I. and Gillberg, Christopher and Billstedt, Eva and Wallinius, Märta}},
issn = {{2056-4724}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{210--216}},
publisher = {{Cambridge University Press}},
series = {{BJPsych Open}},
title = {{Asperger syndrome in childhood - Personality dimensions in adult life : Temperament, character and outcome trajectories}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjpo.bp.116.002741}},
doi = {{10.1192/bjpo.bp.116.002741}},
volume = {{2}},
year = {{2016}},
}