Questionaires about attachment, psychosocial functioning, depressive symptoms, paranoid ideation, and emotion regulation were administered to 83 autistic adults (50 males, 33 females).

Questionaires about attachment, psychosocial functioning, depressive symptoms, paranoid ideation, and emotion regulation were administered to 83 autistic adults (50 males, 33 females).

Measuring self-rated levels of insecure attachment in 83 adults with autism spectrum disorder. Welch's two sample t-test was used to compare the ECR-r data between the participants and (non-)clinical controls drawn from the manuals of the used measure.

The ECR-R is a 36-item measure designed to assess individual differences with respect to attachment-related anxiety (i.e., the extent to which people are insecure versus secure about the availability and responsiveness of romantic partners; items 1 to 18) and attachment-related avoidance (i.e., the extent to which people are uncomfortable being close to others versus secure depending on others; items 19 to 36). The items are scored on a 7-point scale, with higher scores (>= 4) indicating more insecure attachment. A mean score (ranging from 0 to 7) is calculated for both attachment styles.

Measuring self-rated levels of psycho-social functioning in 83 autistic adults. Welch's two sample t-test was used to compare the WHODAS 2.0 data between the participants and (non-)clinical controls drawn from the manuals of the used measure.

WHODAS 2.0 is a generic assessment self-report for health and disability in adults, consisting of 36 items on a 5-point scale (none, mild, moderate, severe, and extreme) covering six domains: cognitions, mobility, self-care, interaction, life activities, and participation in society. WHODAS 2.0 asks the individual to rate how much difficulty they have had in specific areas of functioning during the past 30 days. WHODAS 2.0 produces standardized disability levels and profiles by summing six domain scores and converting the summary score into a metric range from 0 (= no disability) to 100 (= full disability).

Measuring self-rated levels of depression in 83 autistic adults. Welch's two sample t-test was used to compare the BDI-2-NL-R data between the participants and (non-)clinical controls drawn from the manuals of the used measure.

The BDI-2-NL-R is a 21-item self report assessing the presence and severity of depressive symptoms, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The BDI-2-NL-R is also compatible with DSM-5 depressive disorder (APA, 2013; 2022). The items are scored on a 4-point scale with a total score ranging from 0 to 63 indicating minimal (0-13), mild (14-19), moderate (20-28), or severe (29-63) depression.