biostudies-literatureLau-Zhu AJohn Fell Fund, University of OxfordMedical Research CouncilNIHR Imperial Biomedical Research CentreOxford Health NHS Foundation Trust1781-1795https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11564263biostudies-literatureUnknown52(11)Maltreatment and autism can be associated with overlapping difficulties across functional domains (e.g., social, emotional, and sensory) and high rates of mental health problems. A cognitive approach focussing on affect-laden cognition, here on episodic future thinking (FT), could help inform cognitive assessments and adapt psychological interventions. Three groups of adolescents (N = 85), (i) maltreatment (n = 28), (ii) autism (n = 29), and (iii) typical development without maltreatment/autism (TD; n = 28), matched in age (10-16 years old), sex (assigned at birth), and socioeconomic status, completed a newly adapted online Autobiographical Future Thinking Test. As predicted, the maltreatment group generated significantly fewer specific future events relative to the TD group, however, the Research on child and adolescent psychopathologySpecificity of Episodic Future Thinking in Adolescents: Comparing Childhood Maltreatment, Autism Spectrum, and Typical Development.PMC11564263MR/Y009460/1NA0014097PSP955Lau-Zhu ACooper MGibson DHappe FStacey JStark EWang JChan CfalseSpecificity of Episodic Future Thinking in Adolescents: Comparing Childhood Maltreatment, Autism Spectrum, and Typical Development.Maltreatment and autism can be associated with overlapping difficulties across functional domains (e.g., social, emotional, and sensory) and high rates of mental health problems. A cognitive approach focussing on affect-laden cognition, here on episodic future thinking (FT), could help inform cognitive assessments and adapt psychological interventions. Three groups of adolescents (N = 85), (i) maltreatment (n = 28), (ii) autism (n = 29), and (iii) typical development without maltreatment/autism (TD; n = 28), matched in age (10-16 years old), sex (assigned at birth), and socioeconomic status, completed a newly adapted online Autobiographical Future Thinking Test. As predicted, the maltreatment group generated significantly fewer specific future events relative to the TD group, however, the 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Nov2026-07-16T21:49:44.849Z2025-04-06T01:41:13.882ZS-EPMC115642633916731910.1007/s10802-024-01232-7