Psychometric Validation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q/DE)

Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05989685

LPEK-0659

Details and patient eligibility

About

For many affected individuals, despite impairment and distress, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is recognized and diagnosed late, in school age, adolescence, or even in adulthood, which could be due, among other things, to the use of compensatory strategies such as so-called "camouflaging" by the respective individual. In order to better investigate and quantify these adaptive and compensatory strategies of individuals with autism, the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) has recently been developed and validated in the English-speaking world. The CAT-Q is designed to assess the extent of camouflaging behavior, in which autistic individuals consciously or unconsciously attempt to conceal or attenuate their autistic traits in order to better adapt to social situations. So far, however, there is no German-language questionnaire that can be used to validly assess camouflaging. The aim of the planned research project is to psychometrically validate the CAT-Q in German-speaking adolescents aged 13-21 years. The validation of the CAT-Q represents an important basis for further research on the construct camouflaging and can subsequently contribute to an improvement of diagnostics as well as support the development of individual treatment approaches.

Enrollment: 622 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 13 to 21 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria study group:

• patients who meet the principal diagnosis of ASD, which includes atypical autism (ICD-10: F84.1) and Asperger syndrome (ICD-10: F84.5), and are between the ages of 13 and 21 years old.

Exclusion Criteria study group:

• Dementia / below average cognitive abilities (IQ < 85)
• lack of German language skills
• severe visual or hearing impairment (uncorrected)

Inclusion Criteria control group:

• Adolescents who do not have a lifetime principal diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder (ICD-10-GM-2016: F10 - F69) and are between 13 and 21 years old.

Exclusion Criteria Control Group:

• dementia / below average general cognitive ability (IQ < 85)
• lack of German language skills
• severe impairment of vision or hearing (not corrected).

Trial design

622 participants in 2 patient groups

Study group

Description:

Adolescents between the ages of 13-21 who meet diagnostic criteria for an autism spectrum disorder.

Control group

Description:

Adolescents aged 13-21 years without a lifetime psychiatric diagnosis.