Depression and Associated Socio-Emotional Factors Among Adults with Williams Syndrome

Abstract

Introduction Adults with Williams syndrome (WS) experience elevated risk for depression, yet little is known about its prevalence in this population. This brief report had two exploratory aims: to describe the rate of depression in a large sample of adults with WS, and to examine whether caregiver-reported behavioral observations were associated with depression diagnoses and symptoms.Method Data were from self-report and caregiver-reports of 105 adults with WS who attended an annual summer camp. Adults with WS completed the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia – Present and Lifetime Version and caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist.Results Results indicated that 38.1% of participants showed evidence of depression across their lifetime. Caregivers reported significantly higher internalizing, anxious, and withdrawn behaviors in adults with depression compared to those without.Conclusion These findings suggest that depression is more prevalent in adults with WS than previously recognized, and that caregiver observation may play an important role in identification.