‘I Felt Like I was Floating in Space’: Autistic Adults’ Experiences of Low Mood and Depression

Jordan, Amy Louise; Marczak, Magdalena; Knibbs, J

doi:10.1007/s10803-020-04638-6

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Since then, qualitative studies on autistic adults have become more expansive, covering themes such as friendships and relationships (Sala et al, 2020 ; Sosnowy et al, 2019 ), the diagnostic process (Huang et al, 2020a ; Mason et al, 2019 ), coping strategies (Ghanouni & Quirke, 2022 ; Hull et al, 2017 ), and gender related challenges and experiences (Coleman-Smith et al, 2020 ; Milner et al, 2019 ). Only one qualitative study on autistic adults directly addressed negative mood (Jordan et al, 2021 ), and specifically focused on how adults experienced low mood and depression. No study to date has directly surveyed autistic adults on specific experiences as a source of their emotional states.…”

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confidence: 99%

Self-reported Everyday Sources of Happiness and Unhappiness in Autistic Adults

Parenteau

Lampinen

Ghods

et al. 2023

J Autism Dev Disord

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Purpose: Daily mood can be influenced by a range of experiences. Identifying everyday life experiences that make autistic adults happy and unhappy holds potential to foster positive mood and tackle mental health problems amongst this group. Methods: A total of 293 autistic adults between the ages of 18 to 35 years old (mean age of 26.51 years old ( SD = 4.62); 43.3% female gender, 4.8% nonbinary) provided open-text responses regarding everyday sources of happiness and unhappiness. Using an iterative process of inductive coding, 14 happy themes and 22 unhappy themes of mood-changing life experiences were identified based on self-report qualitative data. Results: Common themes across the happy and unhappy domain involved social partners, social interactions, and engagement in recreational and employment activities, with additional distinct themes specific to happy or unhappy mood. Top themes identified in the happy domain emphasizes encouraging quality relationships and positive interactions with others and cultivating supportive work/societal environments to build a sense of achievement and value. Meanwhile, emotional tolls accompanied negative relationships and interactions, underscoring the necessity to provide autistic adults with conflict resolution and coping skills to increase feelings of happiness. Conclusion: Overall, the wide range of sources of happy and unhappy everyday experiences highlights the importance of considering personal preferences in engagement with others and activities in treatment.

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confidence: 99%

Self-reported Everyday Sources of Happiness and Unhappiness in Autistic Adults

Parenteau

Lampinen

Ghods

et al. 2023

J Autism Dev Disord

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“…Prior research in non-autistic populations suggests that negative self-related beliefs may increase the risk of undesirable outcomes from repetitive thinking, especially when that repetition is negatively focused (Watkins, 2008). Other researchers have also suggested that autistic individuals may engage in more rumination related to mistakes or rejection in social spheres, perhaps particularly tied to a sense of not-belonging and rejection sensitivity (Jordan et al, 2020;Keenan et al, 2018). Notably, the RRS nodes considered most central in the current study only partially overlapped with those reported in a previous study of the measure's network structure (i.e.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the structure of trait rumination in autistic adults: A network analysis

Williams

McKenney

Gotham

2021

Autism

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Rumination, a form of passive, repetitive negative thinking, predicts the development of depressive disorders in non-autistic individuals, and recent work suggests higher levels of rumination may contribute to elevated rates of depression in the autistic population. Using psychological network analysis, this study sought to investigate the structure of rumination in autistic individuals and the relationships between rumination and individual depressive symptoms. Non-regularized partial correlation networks were estimated using cross-sectional data from 608 autistic adults who completed the Ruminative Responses Scale and Beck Depression Inventory–II. Node centrality indices were calculated to determine which specific symptoms may have a disproportionate influence on the network of repetitive negative thoughts. Nodes were also grouped into communities, and specific “bridge” nodes were identified that most strongly connected these different communities. Results demonstrated strong positive relationships between all facets of ruminative thinking, similar to a prior study in non-autistic adults. Self-directed negative cognitions appeared to be particularly central in this network. The depression symptoms most strongly related to rumination in autistic adults were sadness and guilt. Although these findings are preliminary, they highlight specific facets of rumination that warrant future study as depression risk factors and potential intervention targets in the autistic population. Lay abstract Autistic adults are substantially more likely to develop depression than individuals in the general population, and recent research has indicated that certain differences in thinking styles associated with autism may play a role in this association. Rumination, the act of thinking about the same thing over and over without a functional outcome, is a significant risk factor for depression in both autistic and non-autistic adults. However, little is known about how different kinds of rumination relate to each other and to depressive symptoms in the autistic population specifically. To fill this gap in knowledge, we recruited a large online sample of autistic adults, who completed questionnaire measures of both the tendency to ruminate and symptoms of depression. By examining the interacting network of rumination and depression symptoms, this study was able to identify particular aspects of rumination—such as thinking repetitively about one’s guilty feelings or criticizing oneself—that may be particularly important in maintaining these harmful thought patterns in autistic adults. Although further study is needed, it is possible that the symptoms identified as most “influential” in the network may be particularly good targets for future interventions for mood and anxiety disorders in the autistic population.

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“…Negative thoughts about the self (ie, not fitting in), feeling disconnected/isolated from oneself and others, physiological symptoms, and shame have also been cited. 9,26,27 Participants in one study reported camouflaging symptoms and emotions to fit in, which may be common among individuals with ASD and without ID, putting additional strain on their mental health as well as complicating diagnosis. 26 However, these studies are small, and larger systematic studies are necessary to establish a model of depression in adults with ASD.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presentation of Depressive Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Angel,

Ailey,

Delaney

et al. 2023

West J Nurs Res

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Background: Depressive disorders are frequently mis- and underdiagnosed in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Objective: Our objective was to identify and synthesize current knowledge regarding (1) the presentation of depressive symptoms and (2) the use of self-reports in assessing depressive symptoms in individuals with ASD and comparisons between self-reported and observer-reported symptoms. A scoping review was conducted to capture the full range of literature on the topic and to identify research gaps. Methods: Articles were identified through a search of academic literature and screened for relevance to the aims of the review. Results: In addition to typical depression symptoms, individuals with ASD may demonstrate atypical symptoms such as changes in autistic symptoms, self-injurious behavior, and psychomotor changes. Moreover, the review revealed a bias toward observer-reports of symptoms. Self-reports frequently were not included or were ascribed less weight than observer-reports. Self-reports typically differed from reports given by parents or other caregivers, but a consistent pattern in these differences has not been established. Conclusions: Further research on the use of self-reports in assessing depressive symptoms in individuals with ASD is needed. Self-reports may provide information not obtainable through observer-reports, and integrating both self- and observer-reports in psychiatric evaluations may produce more comprehensive and accurate assessments.

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‘I Felt Like I was Floating in Space’: Autistic Adults’ Experiences of Low Mood and Depression

Cited by 7 publications

References 44 publications

Self-reported Everyday Sources of Happiness and Unhappiness in Autistic Adults

Self-reported Everyday Sources of Happiness and Unhappiness in Autistic Adults

Investigating the structure of trait rumination in autistic adults: A network analysis

Presentation of Depressive Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorders

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