Brief Report: Psychological Flexibility, Perceived Stress and Emotion Regulation in Transitional-Age Youth (TAY) With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Purpose: In clinical practice and research, there is growing interest in transdiagnostic interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), for patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), due to the pervasive nature of the condition, which can lead to recurring difficulties. To develop and refine such interventions, it is essential to identify the transdiagnostic factors that individuals with ASD struggle with. Methods: The current study investigated psychological flexibility—a key concept within ACT—in a group of adolescents and young adults, i.e., transition-age youth (TAY), with ASD, and compared them to TAY with other psychological problems and a community sample of TAY. In addition, two other transdiagnostic factors were examined: perceived stress and emotion regulation (ER) strategies. Results: Both TAY with ASD and TAY with other psychological problems reported lower levels of psychological flexibility, higher perceived stress, and fewer adaptive as well as more maladaptive ER strategies compared to TAY from the community group. Contrary to expectations, no significant differences were found between TAY with ASD and those with other psychological problems. Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of focusing on interventions that aim to increase psychological flexibility, such as ACT, while also addressing other transdiagnostic factors like stress and ER skills in future research on TAY with ASD.