Relationship of hypersensitivity to anxiety and depression in children with high‐functioning pervasive developmental disorders

AIMS: Sensory-perceptual abnormalities, which include hyper- and hyposensitivity, have been identified by numerous researchers as prevalent in individuals with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Hypersensitivity has a greater impact on PDD patients' daily lives than hyposensitivity. The purpose of the present study was to clarify the relationship of hypersensitivity to anxiety, depression and other psychopathology in children with PDD. METHODS: Sixty-four children were divided into a hypersensitivity group (HG; n = 43) and a non-hypersensitivity group (non-HG; n = 21), and compared for anxiety, depression and other psychopathology on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) and Children's Depression Inventory (CDI). RESULTS: The HG group had significantly higher scores than the non-HG group in Total, Internalizing, and Somatic complaints on the CBCL. On STAIC, the mean sore of Total Score, State Score and Trait Score in the HG group tended to be higher than in the non-HG group, but the difference was not significant. The score on the CDI in the HG group was significantly higher than that in the non-HG group. CONCLUSION: PDD children with hypersensitivity have more serious psychopathologies, especially internalizing symptoms including depression.