Connections between and within extended psychosis and autistic phenotypes and social relationships in the general population.

This study looked at how autism traits, unusual thoughts/experiences, and social relationships connect in everyday adults. Researchers found that people with more autism traits or unusual experiences often struggle more with relationships. They discovered that autism traits and unusual experiences are somewhat separate, but both link to social difficulties, feeling rejected, and withdrawal from others.

This network analysis study examined relationships between autistic traits, psychotic-like experiences, and social functioning in 649 adults from the Slovak general population. Using sophisticated statistical modeling, researchers identified four distinct but interconnected communities: social relationships, autistic traits, positive psychotic symptoms, and a combined cluster of negative symptoms, social interaction problems, and depression. Key network variables included social interaction difficulties, perceived rejection, bizarre ideas, depression, and social withdrawal. The findings suggest that while autistic and psychotic phenotypes form relatively independent communities in the general population, there is substantial overlap between negative psychotic symptoms and core autistic features, particularly social difficulties.

Findings suggest overlapping social difficulties across autistic and psychotic phenotypes in the general population. Clinicians should consider comprehensive assessment of social functioning, rejection sensitivity, and mood symptoms when evaluating individuals with autistic traits or psychotic-like experiences.

Single cross-sectional study from one country limits generalizability. Network analysis shows associations but cannot establish causation. Sample representativeness limited to Slovak population aged 18-65.

Non - clinical individuals with higher levels of autistic traits and psychotic experiences also have problems in social relationships. Therefore, this study aimed to model complex associations between autistic and psychotic phenotypes and indicators of social relationships in the general population using a network approach. The sample consisted of 649 participants with a mean age of M = 40.23 and SD = 13.09 sampled from the general population. The sample was representative for the 18-65 years old general population in the Slovak Republic.

The following scales were administered: Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences, The Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory, and NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationship Scales. Associations between variables and the presence of communities were identified using Exploratory Graph Analysis. Results revealed four highly stable and densely connected communities within the network: social relationships, autistic traits, positive symptoms, and the last one consisting of all negative symptoms, problems in social interactions, and depression. The most important variables in the network were difficulties in social interaction, perceived rejection, bizarre ideas, depression, and social withdrawal.

The psychotic and autistic phenotypes in the general population showed a network of connections with characteristics of social relationships. Community detection revealed that autistic traits and psychotic-like experiences formed relatively independent communities. Further, there was substantial overlap between negative symptoms (e.g., social withdrawal), and core features of the autistic phenotype, especially social interaction difficulties.