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. 2018 Feb;48(2):473-484.
doi: 10.1007/s10803-017-3342-7.

Experiences of Autism Acceptance and Mental Health in Autistic Adults

Eilidh Cage  1 , Jessica Di Monaco  2 , Victoria Newell  2
Affiliations

Experiences of Autism Acceptance and Mental Health in Autistic Adults

Eilidh Cage et al. J Autism Dev Disord. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Mental health difficulties are highly prevalent in individuals on the autism spectrum. The current study examined how experiences and perceptions of autism acceptance could impact on the mental health of autistic adults. 111 adults on the autism spectrum completed an online survey examining their experiences of autism acceptance, along with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Regression analyses showed that autism acceptance from external sources and personal acceptance significantly predicted depression. Acceptance from others also significantly predicted stress but acceptance did not predict anxiety. Further analyses suggested that experiences of "camouflaging" could relate to higher rates of depression. The current study highlights the importance of considering how autism acceptance could contribute to mental health in autism.

Keywords: Autism acceptance; Camouflaging; Masking; Mental health.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The relationship between depression scores and a autism acceptance from external sources and b personal autism acceptance
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The relationship between stress scores and autism acceptance from external sources
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