ERIC Number: EJ1160222
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Dec
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: N/A
Anxious Imagery in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Investigation into Occurrence, Content, Features and Implications for Therapy
Ozsivadjian, Ann; Hollocks, Matthew J.; Southcott, Jess; Absoud, Michael; Holmes, Emily
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v47 n12 p3822-3832 Dec 2017
Mental imagery has been implicated in anxiety disorders in adults, but has not been investigated in child and adolescent populations. Anxiety is highly prevalent in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and as people with ASD are often thought of as "visual thinkers," the potential role of distressing imagery in children with ASD merits exploration. Participants aged 8-16 years were grouped as follows: ASD/high anxiety, ASD/low anxiety, non-ASD/high anxiety and non-ASD/low anxiety. Imagery and associated features were assessed using an interview. Group differences were found in number and frequency of images experienced. There were few differences between the groups in the characteristics of the spontaneous images, which included emotional valence, vividness, controllability and realism. Implications for treatment are discussed.
Descriptors: Anxiety, Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Children, Adolescents, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Interviews, Incidence, Emotional Response, Imagination, Visualization
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A