The mediating effects of childhood neglect on the association between schizotypal and autistic personality traits and depression in a non-clinical sample

Background Autistic personality traits (APT) and schizotypal personality traits (SPT) are associated with depression. However, mediating factors within these relationships have not yet been explored. Thus, the focus of the current study was to examine the effects of childhood neglect on the relationship between APT/SPT and depression. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on first-year students (N = 2469) at Hunan University of Chinese Medicine and Hengyang Normal College (Changsha, China). Participants completed surveys on APT, SPT, childhood neglect, abuse and depression. Results Through correlational analyses, APT and SPT traits were positively correlated with childhood neglect and depression (p