Autistic traits and social anxiety in children and adolescents: the mediating role of theory of mind and social adaptive behavior

Key Points

• Social anxiety is linked to autistic traits in children and adolescents, and may be influenced by theory of mind.
• The analysis indicates that enhancing theory of mind could help reduce social anxiety, aiding social adaptive behavior.
• Autistic traits and social anxiety were assessed in a non-clinical youth population, highlighting the relevance of this link.
• This suggests potential educational interventions to improve mental health outcomes based on social understanding.