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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Psychiatry

Depression in autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review of pharmacologic, neuromodulation, and psychosocial interventions

  • Usman Ghumman1,2
  • Celine Shafee3
  • Lina Altarawneh4
  • Maria Iorini1
  • Hagar Kandel1,2
  • Nikhilesh Anand5
  • Alissa Lopez5
  • Jacqueline Mendoza5
  • Emma Romero5
  • Anthony Dang5
  • Aisha Saeed6
  • Leonardo Magisano-Lamraoui7
4 more authors
  • Tolga Atilla Ceranoglu1,2
  • Ricardo Belmares4
  • Gagan Joshi1,2
  • Bharathi Gadad4
7 affiliations
  1. 1The Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Massachusetts General Hospital
  2. 2Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
  3. 3Northeastern University
  4. 4College of Medicine, Qatar University
  5. 5School of Medicine, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)
  6. 6Riphah International University
  7. 7Lexington High School
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Abstract

Introduction: Major depressive disorder is common in autism spectrum disorder, but diagnosis and treatment are complicated by symptom overlap, atypical presentations, alexithymia, and limited ASD-specific evidence.

Methods: We conducted a scoping review of PubMed, PsycINFO, and reference lists for studies published from 1995 through 2025 examining pharmacologic, neuromodulation, and psychosocial interventions for depressive symptoms in ASD.

Results: Psychosocial interventions, including autism-adapted cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, dialectical behavior therapy-informed approaches, behavioral activation, PEERS, exercise, and animal-assisted therapy, were associated with improvements in depressive symptoms in open-label studies and small randomized trials. Neuromodulation findings were preliminary, while evidence for electroconvulsive therapy and deep brain stimulation was primarily case-based. Pharmacologic recommendations were based largely on expert consensus and indirect evidence rather than ASD-specific controlled trials.

Discussion: Depression treatment in ASD remains understudied. Larger controlled trials using ASD-validated depression measures, broader representation across support needs, and assessment of functional and long-term outcomes are needed.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ghumman2026depression,
  title = {{Depression in autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review of pharmacologic, neuromodulation, and psychosocial interventions}},
  author = {Usman Ghumman and Celine Shafee and Lina Altarawneh and Maria Iorini and Hagar Kandel and Nikhilesh Anand and Alissa Lopez and Jacqueline Mendoza and Emma Romero and Anthony Dang and Aisha Saeed and Leonardo Magisano-Lamraoui and Tolga Atilla Ceranoglu and Ricardo Belmares and Gagan Joshi and Bharathi Gadad},
  journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1906750},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1906750/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Depression in autism spectrum disorder: a scoping review of pharmacologic, neuromodulation, and psychosocial interventions
AU  - Usman Ghumman
AU  - Celine Shafee
AU  - Lina Altarawneh
AU  - Maria Iorini
AU  - Hagar Kandel
AU  - Nikhilesh Anand
AU  - Alissa Lopez
AU  - Jacqueline Mendoza
AU  - Emma Romero
AU  - Anthony Dang
AU  - Aisha Saeed
AU  - Leonardo Magisano-Lamraoui
AU  - Tolga Atilla Ceranoglu
AU  - Ricardo Belmares
AU  - Gagan Joshi
AU  - Bharathi Gadad
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/29
JO  - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO  - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1906750
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1906750/full
AB  - Introduction: Major depressive disorder is common in autism spectrum disorder, but diagnosis and treatment are complicated by symptom overlap, atypical presentations, alexithymia, and limited ASD-specific evidence.  Methods: We conducted a scoping review of PubMed, PsycINFO, and reference lists for studies published from 1995 through 2025 examining pharmacologic, neuromodulation, and psychosocial interventions for depressive symptoms in ASD.  Results: Psychosocial interventions, including autism-adapted cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based therapy, dialectical behavior therapy-informed approaches, behavioral activation, PEERS, exercise, and animal-assisted therapy, were associated with improvements in depressive symptoms in open-label studies and small randomized trials. Neuromodulation findings were preliminary, while evidence for electroconvulsive therapy and deep brain stimulation was primarily case-based. Pharmacologic recommendations were based largely on expert consensus and indirect evidence rather than ASD-specific controlled trials.  Discussion: Depression treatment in ASD remains understudied. Larger controlled trials using ASD-validated depression measures, broader representation across support needs, and assessment of functional and long-term outcomes are needed.
SN  - 1664-0640
ER  -