scholarly journals "I'm trying to reach out, I'm trying to find my people": Loneliness and loneliness distress in autistic adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Quadt ◽  
Gemma Louise Williams ◽  
James S Mulcahy ◽  
Marta Silva ◽  
Dennis E O Larsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Sensory Sensitivity ◽  
Autistic Group ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Autistic Population ◽  
Group Regression

Despite the persistent stereotype that autistic individuals are not motivated to seek meaningful social relationships, rates of loneliness among the autistic population are higher than in the non-autistic population. In this two-part, mixed methods study, we sought to 1) quantify the level of distress associated with loneliness in autistic and non-autistic adults and 2) gain qualitative insight into autistic experiences of loneliness. In Study A, 209 participants (encompassing a group of autistic individuals and a group of non-autistic comparison participants) completed questionnaire ratings of their level of loneliness, associated distress, trait anxiety, depression, and sensory sensitivity. Results indicated that the autistic group scored higher levels across all measures. Both groups manifest strong correlations between loneliness and loneliness distress. In the autistic group, but not the non-autistic group, regression analyses showed that loneliness and sensory sensitivity predicted levels of anxiety, wherein the effect of loneliness on anxiety was partially mediated by the level of sensory sensitivity. In Study B, nine autistic adults took part in ten-minute, unstructured dyadic conversations around the topic of loneliness. Inductive and deductive analyses enriched qualitative understanding of the experiences of loneliness of autistic individuals. Our results broadly oppose the social motivation deficit hypothesis and we instead frame our findings within the larger context of ‘ethical loneliness’, concluding that a concerted effort is needed to overcome the fundamental disconnect with the neurotypical world experienced by many autistic people.

scholarly journals Is social camouflaging associated with anxiety and depression in autistic adults?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Hull ◽  
Lily Levy ◽  
Meng-Chuan Lai ◽  
K. V. Petrides ◽  
Simon Baron-Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Anxiety Depression

Abstract Background There is inconsistent evidence for a clear pattern of association between ‘camouflaging’ (strategies used to mask and/or compensate for autism characteristics during social interactions) and mental health. Methods This study explored the relationship between self-reported camouflaging and generalised anxiety, depression, and social anxiety in a large sample of autistic adults and, for the first time, explored the moderating effect of gender, in an online survey. Results Overall, camouflaging was associated with greater symptoms of generalised anxiety, depression, and social anxiety, although only to a small extent beyond the contribution of autistic traits and age. Camouflaging more strongly predicted generalised and social anxiety than depression. No interaction between camouflaging and gender was found. Limitations These results cannot be generalised to autistic people with intellectual disability, or autistic children and young people. The sample did not include sufficient numbers of non-binary people to run separate analyses; therefore, it is possible that camouflaging impacts mental health differently in this population. Conclusions The findings suggest that camouflaging is a risk factor for mental health problems in autistic adults without intellectual disability, regardless of gender. We also identified levels of camouflaging at which risk of mental health problems is highest, suggesting clinicians should be particularly aware of mental health problems in those who score at or above these levels.

scholarly journals Overcoming the Double Empathy Problem Within Pairs of Autistic and Non-autistic Adults Through the Contemplation of Serious Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Chapple ◽  
Philip Davis ◽  
Josie Billington ◽  
Joe Anthony Myrick ◽  
Cassie Ruddock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Emotional Response ◽  
Interview Data ◽  
Literary Analysis ◽  
Matched Pairs ◽  
Qualitative Design ◽  
Autistic Group ◽  
Paired Reading ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults

Recent research based on the needs of the autistic community has explored the frequent social misunderstandings that arise between autistic and non-autistic people, known as the double empathy problem. Double empathy understandings require both groups to respect neurodiversity by focussing on individuality across groups. This study aimed to explore how literature, through its ability to uncover nuanced emotional response differences between readers, could facilitate double empathy understandings within pairs of autistic and non-autistic adults. A longitudinal, qualitative design was used, with 4 gender-matched pairs. Participants read Of Mice and Men for 1 week, whilst completing a structured, reflective diary. This was followed by 4 one-hour paired reading sessions, where pairs discussed the book and their reflections in depth. Participants were then invited to a final one-on-one interview to discuss their thoughts and experiences of the paired reading sessions. Thematic and literary analysis of the session and interview data revealed four themes (1) The Book as Social Oil; (2) From a World of Difference to a World of Affinity; (3) Emotional Intelligence: From Thinking About to Feeling with; and (4) From Overwhelming to Overcoming. All participants reported having achieved an individualised view of one another to explore their nuanced differences. The non-autistic group reported a more sensitive understanding of what it means to be autistic, while the autistic group overcame concerns about non-autistic people stereotyping autism, and instead reported feeling valued and accommodated by their non-autistic partners.

scholarly journals Sociocultural context and autistics’ quality of life: A comparison between Québec and France

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110352
Author(s):  
Vicky Caron ◽  
Nuria Jeanneret ◽  
Mathieu Giroux ◽  
Lucila Guerrero ◽  
Mélanie Ouimet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Experience ◽  
Sociocultural Context ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
The Social ◽  
French Speaking ◽  
Awareness Programs ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Public Campaigns

Quality of life is important for the development and evaluation of interventions for autistic people. It is a multidimensional concept, anchored in a sociocultural context and based on a person’s subjective assessment of their life. The aim of this study is to examine whether the determinants of perceived quality of life vary by country (or culture) by comparing two groups of French-speaking autistic adults ( n = 430), one in France and the other in Québec (Canada). A cross-sectional survey was conducted to provide information on the quality of life (Autism Quality of Life Measure—ASQoL), diagnosis and health conditions, self-evaluation of autistic traits (Autism-Spectrum Quotient—AQ10), and sociodemographic characteristics of these two samples. The results of our comparison of French-speaking autistic adults in France and Québec suggest that sociocultural context has an impact on autistic people’s quality of life ( r2 = 0.280). The Québec group reported a superior quality of life. The social experience of autism-related stigmatization emerges as a strong predictor of lower quality of life in both groups. However, the two groups differ with other predictors. This study demonstrates the importance of considering sociocultural context in measuring quality of life in autistic adults. It emphasizes the need for awareness programs and public campaigns aimed at identifying and countering stigmatization processes. Lay abstract What is already known about the topic? Quality of life refers to how people perceive aspects of their life such as physical health, material security, and interpersonal relationships. Studies have reported lower quality of life among autistic individuals than in the general population. What does this article contribute? This article contributes to a better understanding of quality of life and its measures from the point of view of autistic adults. By comparing two groups of French-speaking autistic adults from two different places (France and Québec—Canada), this research shows that the perception of quality of life and its determining factors differ for autistic adults living in each country. The Québec group reported a superior quality of life, and some quality of life predictors were different in each group. The social experience of autism-related stigmatization, however, was a powerful predictor of quality of life for all. Implications for practice, research, and policy To promote a higher quality of life for autistic people, it is important to consider the sociocultural context and implement awareness programs and public campaigns aimed at identifying and countering stigmatization processes.

scholarly journals Bilingualism in autism: Language learning profiles and social experiences

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2166-2177
Author(s):  
Bérengère G Digard ◽  
Antonella Sorace ◽  
Andrew Stanfield ◽  
Sue Fletcher-Watson
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Language History ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Autistic Adults

Bilingualism changes how people relate to others, and lead their lives. This is particularly relevant in autism, where social interaction presents challenges. Understanding the overlap between the social variations of bilingualism and autism could unveil new ways to support autistic people. This research aims to understand the language learning and social experiences of mono-, bi- and multilingual autistic people. A total of 297 autistic adults (mean age = 32.4 years) completed an online questionnaire including general demographic, language history and social life quality self-rating items. The sample included 89 monolingual English speakers, 98 bilinguals, and 110 multilinguals, with a wide range of language profiles. Regression models were used to analyse how bilingualism variables predicted social life quality ratings. In the full sample, age negatively predicted social life quality scores while the number of languages known positively predicted social life quality scores. In the multilingual subset, age negatively predicted social life quality scores, while third language proficiency positively predicted social life quality scores. This is the first study describing the language history and social experiences of a substantial sample of bilingual and multilingual autistic adults. It provides valuable insight into how autistic people can learn and use a new language, and how their bilingualism experiences shape their social life. Lay abstract Bilingualism changes the way people relate to others. This is particularly interesting in the case of autism, where social interaction presents many challenges. A better understanding of the overlap between the social variations of bilingualism and autism could unveil new ways to support the social experiences of autistic people. This research aims to understand the language learning and social experiences of autistic people who speak one, two or more languages. A total of 297 autistic adults (aged between 16 and 80 years) completed an online questionnaire that included general demographic questions, social life quality self-rating questions, language history questions, and open questions about the respondents’ bilingualism experience. Respondents had a wide range of language experiences: there were 89 monolingual English speakers, 98 bilinguals, 110 respondents knew three languages or more, all with a wide range of abilities in their languages. In the full group, younger respondents were more satisfied with their social life, and respondents with many languages were more satisfied with their social life than respondents with few languages. In the multilingual group, younger respondents were more satisfied with their social life, and the more skilled in their third language the more satisfied with their social life. This is the first study describing the language history and social experiences of a large group of bilingual and multilingual autistic adults. It highlights how autistic people can encounter a new language, learn it and use it in their daily life, and how their bilingualism experiences shape their social life.

scholarly journals Making sense of the perceptual capacities in autistic and non-autistic adults

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1795-1804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Brinkert ◽  
Anna Remington
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Information ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Sensory Sensitivity ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities ◽  
Sensory Hypersensitivity ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Life Education ◽  
Perceptual Capacity

Recent studies highlighted that autistic individuals show increased perceptual capacity – the ability to process more information at any one time. This study examined whether there is a link between this increased perceptual capacity and the sensory hypersensitivity that many autistic people experience on a daily basis. In total, 38 autistic and 66 non-autistic adults filled in sensory questionnaires and performed an auditory load task, which assessed perceptual capacity. Results showed that higher levels of auditory perceptual capacity were correlated with higher levels of sensory sensitivities. We identified two clusters in the sample: one group of individuals with hyposensitivity and a decreased perceptual capacity ( n = 42) and a cluster with an increased perceptual capacity and hypersensitivity ( n = 47). Understanding this relationship may offer the opportunity to develop more effective techniques to ameliorate the often debilitating consequences of sensory hypersensitivity and over-arousal. Interestingly, this association between perceptual capacity and sensory sensitivities was seen for both groups; no significant association was found between perceptual capacity and level of autistic traits. As such, the findings may extend to other conditions with sensory atypicalities, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or Williams syndrome. The practical implications of the results for many aspects of daily life, education and employment are discussed. Lay abstract Perceptual capacity refers to the amount of information that we can pay attention to at any one time. Research has shown that autistic people have a higher perceptual capacity, which means they can take in more information than non-autistic people can. This can be useful in certain situations, for instance, hearing approaching cars or noticing small details. However, in other situations, a higher perceptual capacity may result in more distraction. This study looked at whether having this increased perceptual capacity is linked to being very sensitive to sensory information (lights, sounds, touch, taste and smell) – something that many autistic people experience on a daily basis. Being very sensitive to these things can make it hard to interact with the world around us, so it is important to know more about what causes the sensitivity. To explore this, 38 autistic and 66 non-autistic adults completed a computer task that measured perceptual capacity and filled in a questionnaire about how sensitive they were to sensory information. We found that perceptual capacity was related to sensory symptoms for both autistic and non-autistic participants; people who had a larger perceptual capacity showed more sensitivity, while people who had a lower perceptual capacity showed reduced sensory sensitivity. This information can hopefully be used to improve the way in which we can support people who experience unpleasant sensory sensitivity.

Instagram: Friend or foe? The application’s association with psychological well-being

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 2160-2182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha B Mackson ◽  
Paula M Brochu ◽  
Barry A Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Social Comparison ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
The Social ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Insight Into

The current study examined the association between the social media application Instagram and its users’ psychological well-being. Participants, both Instagram users and non-users, were surveyed online on measures of depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-esteem, body image, and social comparison. Participants who reported having an Instagram account were also asked about their time spent on Instagram and Instagram anxiety. To understand the association between Instagram and psychological well-being, the study’s first aim was to compare participants who had an Instagram account with those who did not have one. Results revealed that participants with the application reported lower levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness, and higher levels of self-esteem, than participants who did not have an account. Furthermore, loneliness and self-esteem mediated the association between having an Instagram account and depression and anxiety. The second aim of the study was to examine what factors are associated with Instagram users’ reports of anxiety and depression, focusing specifically on participants who reported having an Instagram account. Results revealed that anxiety and depression were predicted by Instagram anxiety and social comparison, respectively. Overall, these results show that Instagram is associated with psychological well-being. However, when Instagram users experience Instagram anxiety or engage in social comparison, it is associated with poorer psychological outcomes. This research provides an insight into the psychological impact that Instagram can have on its users.

What is taken for granted in autism research?

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Ilana Friedner
Keyword(s):  
Research Methodologies ◽  
Communicative Practices ◽  
Autism Research ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Research

Abstract This commentary focuses on three points: the need to consider semiotic ideologies of both researchers and autistic people, questions of commensurability, and problems with “the social” as an analytical concept. It ends with a call for new research methodologies that are not deficit-based and that consider a broad range of linguistic and non-linguistic communicative practices.

CHAM MUSLIMS IN HO CHI MINH CITY TODAY

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phu Van Han
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Ho Chi Minh City ◽  
Social Characteristics ◽  
Muslim Community ◽  
The Social ◽  
Insight Into

After more than 30 years of national reform, Ho Chi Minh City has made great changes in economy, living standards and society for all population groups, including the Cham Muslim community. The study clarifies the social characteristics, community development trends in the current sustainable development process of the Cham Muslims. At the same time, explore the adaptability of the community, clarify the aspects of social life and the development of Cham Muslims in Ho Chi Minh City. Thereby, providing insight into a unique cultural lifestyle, harmony between religion and ethnic customs, in a multicultural, colorful city in Ho Chi Minh City today.

Socio-Demographic Factors and Health-Related Behaviors Associated with Gerontology

GIS Business ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 359-370
Author(s):  
Dr. Ravi S. Dalawai
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Work Culture ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
Insight Into

Indian population is in growing trend from 942.2 million in 1994 to 1.36 billion in 2019.Among this six per cent of India's population was of the age 65 and above (UNFPA, 2019). Today the work culture is totally changed. Both husband and wife are forced to work in the current scenario and unable to take care of their parents. The changing structure created increased problems for old age people leads to loneliness, psychological, physical health and financial insecurity. The study paper provides insight into the social and demographic factor and health related sickness of the oldest people. This research explained the cross-sectional study included a representative sample (n=116) of adults aged ≥60 years. The sample was chosen using a four-stage stratified random-cluster survey sampling method .The Chi Square test and ANOVA test was analyzed using SPSS20.

Camouflaging in non-autistic adults is associated with poorer mental health

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Somerville ◽  
Sarah E. MacPherson ◽  
Sue Fletcher-Watson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
The Relationship

Camouflaging is a frequently reported behaviour in autistic people, which entails the use of strategies to compensate for and mask autistic traits in social situations. Camouflaging is associated with poor mental health in autistic people. This study examined the manifestation of camouflaging in a non-autistic sample, examining the relationship between autistic traits, camouflaging, and mental health. In addition, the role of executive functions as a mechanism underpinning camouflaging was explored. Sixty-three non-autistic adults completed standardised self-report questionnaires which measured: autistic traits, mental health symptoms, and camouflaging behaviours. In addition, a subset (n=51) completed three tests of executive function measuring inhibition, working memory, and set-shifting. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyse data. Results indicated that autistic traits are not associated with mental health symptoms when controlling for camouflaging, and camouflaging predicted increased mental health symptoms. Camouflaging did not correlate with any measure of executive function. These findings have implications for understanding the relationship between autistic traits and mental health in non-autistic people and add to the growing development of theory and knowledge about the mechanism and effects of camouflaging.

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