Loneliness and social support in adolescent boys with autism spectrum disorders

J Autism Dev Disord. 2010 Feb;40(2):218-26. doi: 10.1007/s10803-009-0851-z. Epub 2009 Aug 15.

Abstract

Loneliness and perceived social support were examined in 39 adolescent boys with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by means of a self-labeling loneliness measure, the UCLA Loneliness Scale (third version), and the Social Support Scale for Children. Twenty-one percent of the boys with ASD described themselves as often or always feeling lonely. Compared with 199 boys from regular schools in a national probability study, ASD was strongly associated with often or always feeling lonely (OR: 7.08, p < .0005), as well as with a higher degree of loneliness (F(1,229) = 11.1, p < .005). Perceived social support from classmates, parents, and a close friend correlated negatively with loneliness in ASD. The study, therefore, indicates a high occurrence of loneliness among adolescent boys with ASD and points at perceived social support as an important protective factor.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Autistic Disorder / epidemiology
  • Autistic Disorder / psychology*
  • Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
  • Cognition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations
  • Loneliness / psychology*
  • Male
  • Peer Group
  • Prevalence
  • Social Support*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires