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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0CNS Spectrums

Quality over quantity: association between autistic traits and daily-life social interactions in adolescents and young adults from the TwinssCan cohort

  • Laura Fusar-Poli1,2
  • Thanavadee Prachason3
  • Natascia Brondino1
  • Marta Nola1
  • Bochao D. Lin4
  • Lotta-Katrin Pries4
  • Melike Karaçam Doğan5
  • Claudia Menne-Lothmann4
  • Jeroen Decoster4,6
  • Ruud van Winkel4,6
  • Dina Collip4
  • Philippe Delespaul4
8 more authors
  • Marc De Hert6,7
  • Catherine Derom8,9
  • Evert Thiery10
  • Nele Jacobs4,11
  • Jim van Os12,4,13
  • Bart PF Rutten4
  • Pierluigi Politi1
  • Sinan Guloksuz14,15,4,16,17
17 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
  2. 2Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Pavia, Italy
  3. 3Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
  4. 4Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Mental Health and Neuroscience Research Institute, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, Netherlands
  5. 5Department of Psychiatry, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
  6. 6University Psychiatric Centre, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  7. 7Antwerp Health Law and Ethics Chair, AHLEC University Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium
  8. 8Centre of Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  9. 9Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospitals, Ghent, Belgium
  10. 10Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospitals, Ghent, Belgium
  11. 11Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Netherlands
  12. 12Division Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
  13. 13Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s Health Partners, King’s College London, London, UK
  14. 14Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
  15. 15Institute of Mental Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
  16. 16Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada
  17. 17Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
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Abstract

Objective: Autistic traits (ATs) are associated with difficulties in social functioning, but their impact on the quantity and the quality of daily-life social interactions is not yet fully understood. Hereby, we examined the relationship between AT and daily-life social interactions in adolescents and young adults.

Methods: Data were derived from the TwinssCan cohort (N = 593). ATs were assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), while the quantity and the quality of daily-life social interactions were evaluated using the Experience Sampling Methodology. Multilevel regressions were performed, with the AQ as the independent variable and each social/solitary quantity/quality variable as the dependent variable. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and general psychopathology, measured with the Symptom Checklist-90.

Results: No significant association was found between AQ total scores and quantity of social interactions. However, AQ total scores were significantly associated with quality of social interactions. Higher ATs were associated with an increased preference to be alone (B = 0.04, 95% CI 0.01–0.07), less pleasure while in-company (B = −0.02, 95% CI −0.04 to −0.01), less feeling of safety while in-company (B = −0.02, 95% CI −0.04 to −0.002), and less feeling of belongingness (B = −0.02, 95% CI −0.03 to −0.001). ATs were differently associated with the quality of social interactions depending on the familiarity. No significant associations were found between ATs and solitary qualities.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of evaluating ATs during clinical assessments, especially in adolescents and young adults, to evaluate the impact on social interactions and the potential psychopathological consequences.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{fusarpoli2026quality,
  title = {{Quality over quantity: association between autistic traits and daily-life social interactions in adolescents and young adults from the TwinssCan cohort}},
  author = {Laura Fusar-Poli and Thanavadee Prachason and Natascia Brondino and Marta Nola and Bochao D. Lin and Lotta-Katrin Pries and Melike Karaçam Doğan and Claudia Menne-Lothmann and Jeroen Decoster and Ruud van Winkel and Dina Collip and Philippe Delespaul and Marc De Hert and Catherine Derom and Evert Thiery and Nele Jacobs and Jim van Os and Bart PF Rutten and Pierluigi Politi and Sinan Guloksuz},
  journal = {CNS Spectrums},
  year = {2026},
  month = jun,
  doi = {10.1017/s1092852926100947},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s1092852926100947},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Quality over quantity: association between autistic traits and daily-life social interactions in adolescents and young adults from the TwinssCan cohort
AU  - Laura Fusar-Poli
AU  - Thanavadee Prachason
AU  - Natascia Brondino
AU  - Marta Nola
AU  - Bochao D. Lin
AU  - Lotta-Katrin Pries
AU  - Melike Karaçam Doğan
AU  - Claudia Menne-Lothmann
AU  - Jeroen Decoster
AU  - Ruud van Winkel
AU  - Dina Collip
AU  - Philippe Delespaul
AU  - Marc De Hert
AU  - Catherine Derom
AU  - Evert Thiery
AU  - Nele Jacobs
AU  - Jim van Os
AU  - Bart PF Rutten
AU  - Pierluigi Politi
AU  - Sinan Guloksuz
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/01
JO  - CNS Spectrums
DO  - 10.1017/s1092852926100947
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1017/s1092852926100947
AB  - Objective: Autistic traits (ATs) are associated with difficulties in social functioning, but their impact on the quantity and the quality of daily-life social interactions is not yet fully understood. Hereby, we examined the relationship between AT and daily-life social interactions in adolescents and young adults.  Methods: Data were derived from the TwinssCan cohort (N = 593). ATs were assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), while the quantity and the quality of daily-life social interactions were evaluated using the Experience Sampling Methodology. Multilevel regressions were performed, with the AQ as the independent variable and each social/solitary quantity/quality variable as the dependent variable. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and general psychopathology, measured with the Symptom Checklist-90.  Results: No significant association was found between AQ total scores and quantity of social interactions. However, AQ total scores were significantly associated with quality of social interactions. Higher ATs were associated with an increased preference to be alone (B = 0.04, 95% CI 0.01–0.07), less pleasure while in-company (B = −0.02, 95% CI −0.04 to −0.01), less feeling of safety while in-company (B = −0.02, 95% CI −0.04 to −0.002), and less feeling of belongingness (B = −0.02, 95% CI −0.03 to −0.001). ATs were differently associated with the quality of social interactions depending on the familiarity. No significant associations were found between ATs and solitary qualities.  Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of evaluating ATs during clinical assessments, especially in adolescents and young adults, to evaluate the impact on social interactions and the potential psychopathological consequences.
SN  - 1092-8529
SN  - 2165-6509
ER  -