■自闭症掩蔽是指一些自闭症个体隐藏的倾向,压制,或者伪装他们的自闭症特征,自闭症身份,或自闭症诊断。自闭症掩蔽也可能包括无意识或有意识的模仿行为的尝试,认知,或非自闭症神经典型人群的感觉风格,并抑制自闭症行为的自然形式,认知,以及对感官体验的反应。由于自闭症患者在许多神经典型的社会中都是被污名化的少数群体,作为非自闭症患者通过自闭症掩盖可能是一种尝试,以避免自闭症的污名化和对以前的人际创伤的反应。自闭症掩蔽行为的增加与抑郁症增加的报告有关,焦虑,倦怠,自闭症患者的疲惫,因此,探索自闭症掩蔽的根源和影响是一个重要的心理健康课题。
■这项研究调查了自闭症掩蔽和抑郁症之间的关系,焦虑,性别认同,性取向,人际关系创伤,自尊,真实性,和自闭症社区的参与。参与者是通过自闭症社交媒体团体招募的自闭症成年人(n=342)。
■这项研究发现,自我报告较高的自闭症掩蔽行为与过去人际关系创伤的较高报告相关,更严重的焦虑和抑郁症状,较低的自尊,较低的真实性,自闭症社区的参与度较低。自闭症掩蔽与性别认同或性取向无关。
■这项研究的结果突出了自闭症掩盖与过去的人际创伤之间的关系,发现自闭症掩蔽行为与心理健康有关,自尊,和自闭症成年人的真实性风险。根据本研究和该领域其他研究中提出的与自闭症掩蔽的负面关联,我们对自闭症患者的治疗和教育计划中的自闭症掩蔽策略的教学提出了质疑。
为什么这是一个重要的问题?自闭症掩蔽是指自闭症患者抑制其自然自闭症特征,回应,和行为,在尝试中,有意识或无意识地,隐藏或减少他们自闭症特征的可见度,自闭症身份,或自闭症诊断。高水平的自闭症掩盖与负面的心理健康有关,真实性挑战,自闭症患者的倦怠。人际压力,过去的创伤社会经历,自闭症的污名可能会助长自闭症的掩盖。这项研究的目的是什么?这项研究旨在探讨自闭症掩蔽与抑郁症之间的关系。焦虑,人际关系创伤,自尊,真实性,自闭症社区的参与,性别认同,和性取向。研究人员做了什么?我们通过Facebook上的自闭症社交媒体团体招募了342名自闭症成年参与者,完成了一项30分钟的在线匿名调查,其中包括经过验证的量表来测量自闭症掩盖,抑郁症,焦虑,人际关系创伤,自尊,和真实性。关于人口因素的其他问题被问到,比如性别认同和性取向,我们问了一些关于过去社会创伤和交叉问题的开放式问题。研究结果是什么?我们发现,自我报告较高的自闭症掩蔽行为与过去人际关系创伤的较高报告相关,特别是被自闭症特征羞辱和嘲笑,以及更广泛的情感和身体虐待经历。蒙面还与更大的焦虑和更多的抑郁症状有关,较低的自尊,较低的真实生活,更多地接受外部影响,更高的自我疏离,自闭症社区的参与度较低。未发现自闭症掩盖与性别认同或性取向有关。报告参与先前应用行为分析治疗的参与者报告说,过去的人际关系创伤比参与认知行为治疗等其他形式治疗的参与者更高。这项研究支持了先前将自闭症掩盖与抑郁和焦虑症状联系起来的研究,和较低的报告真实性,比如自闭症患者觉得他们不忠于自己,或者向别人展示他们真正的自我。这项研究是第一个定量调查自闭症掩盖和过去的人际创伤之间的关系,自尊,真实性,和自闭症社区的参与。这项研究的潜在弱点是什么?我们的样本在种族方面并不代表美国人口,教育水平,性别,和性取向。它非常白,受过高等教育,很少有顺性人,百分之六十三是性少数群体的成员。大多数参与者报告了自闭症的晚期诊断。与一般自闭症人群相比,该样本可能包含大量自闭症掩蔽水平高的人,或者最近意识到自己是自闭症掩蔽的人。我们没有分析早期诊断和晚期诊断队列之间的差异。这些发现将如何帮助现在或将来的自闭症成年人?这项研究质疑自闭症掩盖策略在育儿中的教学,教育,以及基于自闭症掩蔽的负面关联的自闭症患者治疗计划。我们的发现应被用作强烈的行动呼吁,以抵制鼓励自闭症掩盖和自闭症特质羞辱的做法。相反,我们提倡提倡养育子女的形式,教育,和治疗尊重自闭症患者的特点,沟通风格,感官需要,和自闭症身份。
UNASSIGNED: Autistic masking refers to some autistic individuals\' tendency to hide, suppress, or camouflage their autistic traits, autistic identity, or autism diagnosis. Autistic masking also may include unconscious or conscious attempts to mimic the behavioral, cognitive, or sensory styles of nonautistic neurotypical people and to suppress natural forms of autistic behavior, cognition, and reactions to sensory experiences. Since autistic people are a stigmatized minority in many neurotypical dominated societies, passing as nonautistic through autistic masking may be an attempt to avoid autism stigma and a reaction to previous interpersonal trauma. Increased autistic masking behaviors are associated with reports of increased depression, anxiety, burnout, and exhaustion in autistic people, and thus, exploring the roots and impact of autistic masking is an important mental health topic.
UNASSIGNED: This study investigated the relationships between autistic masking and depression, anxiety, gender identity, sexual orientation, interpersonal trauma, self-esteem, authenticity, and autistic community involvement. Participants were autistic adults (n = 342) recruited through autistic social media groups.
UNASSIGNED: This study found that higher self-reported autistic masking behaviors were associated with higher reports of past interpersonal trauma, greater anxiety and depression symptoms, lower self-esteem, lower authenticity, and lower participation within the autistic community. Autistic masking was not associated with gender identity or sexual orientation.
UNASSIGNED: The results of this study highlight the relationship between autistic masking and past interpersonal trauma, finding that autistic masking behavior is associated with mental health, self-esteem, and authenticity risks for autistic adults. We call into question the teaching of autistic masking strategies in therapies and education programs for autistic people based on the negative associations with autistic masking presented in this study and other research in this field.
Why is this an important issue? Autistic masking refers to autistic people suppressing their natural autistic traits, responses, and behaviors, in an attempt, consciously or unconsciously, to hide or reduce the visibility of their autistic traits, autistic identity, or autism diagnosis. High levels of autistic masking are associated with negative mental health, authenticity challenges, and burnout for autistic people. Interpersonal pressuring, past traumatic social experiences, and autism stigma potentially fuel autistic masking. What is the purpose of this study? This study aimed to investigate relationship between autistic masking and depression, anxiety, interpersonal trauma, self-esteem, authenticity, autistic community involvement, gender identity, and sexual orientation. What did the researchers do? We recruited 342 autistic adult participants through autistic social media groups on Facebook to complete a 30-minute anonymous survey online comprising validated scales to measure autistic masking, depression, anxiety, interpersonal trauma, self-esteem, and authenticity. Additional questions were asked about demographic factors, such as gender identity and sexual orientation, and we asked open-ended questions about past social trauma and intersectional issues. What were the results of the study? We found that higher self-reported autistic masking behaviors were associated with higher reports of past interpersonal trauma, specifically being shamed and teased about autistic traits, and broader experiences of emotional and physical abuse. Masking was also associated with greater anxiety and more depression symptoms, lower self-esteem, lower authentic living, greater accepting of external influence, higher self-alienation, and lower participation within the autistic community. Autistic masking was not found to be associated with gender identity or sexual orientation. Participants who reported involvement in previous applied behavior analysis therapy reported higher past interpersonal trauma than participants involved in some other forms of therapy such as cognitive behavior therapy. What do the findings add to what was already known? This study supports previous research associating autistic masking with depression and anxiety symptoms, and lower reported authenticity, such as autistic people feeling they were not being true to themselves, or revealing their genuine selves to others. This study is the first to quantitatively investigate relationships between autistic masking and past interpersonal traumas, self-esteem, authenticity, and autistic community involvement. What are potential weaknesses in the study? Our sample is not representative of the U.S. population when it comes to race, educational level, gender, and sexual orientation. It was very White, highly educated, had few cisgender men, and sixty three percent were members of sexual minority groups. The majority of participants reported late diagnosis of autism. This sample potentially contained an overrepresentation of people with high levels of autistic masking or who more recently realized they were autistic masking in comparison with the general autistic population. We did not analyze differences between early-diagnosed and late-diagnosed cohorts. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future? This research calls into question the teaching of autistic masking strategies in parenting, education, and therapy programs for autistic people based on the negative associations of autistic masking. Our findings should be utilized as a strong call to action to push back against practices that encourage autistic masking and autistic trait shaming. Instead we advocate for promoting forms of parenting, education, and therapy that respect autistic people\'s traits, communication styles, sensory needs, and autistic identity.