Prevalence of Victimisation in Autistic Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Trundle, Grace; Jones, Katy A.; Ropar, Danielle; Egan, Vincent

doi:10.1177/15248380221093689

Cited by 34 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Disturbingly, they viewed such experiences as commonplace among autistic people, to the extent that it had become something our participants had become used to and had even come to expect. These findings are consistent with the only other study to date investigating the personal accounts of interpersonal violence among autistic adults (Pearson et al, 2022a;2022b), as well as quantitative studies documenting significantly higher rates of peer victimisation and abuse in childhood (Hellstrom, 2019;Mandell et al, 2005;Trundle et al, 2022), and serious violence victimisation in adulthood (Brown et al, 2017;Brown-Lavoie et al, 2014;Gibbs et al, 2022;. As with most of the extant research in this area, our sample of autistic adults were predominantly white and highly educated.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Interpersonal violence is defined as violence (which may include physical, sexual and psychological violence) inflicted on a person by an individual or small group of individuals, who may be related (e.g., family members), unrelated (e.g., intimate partners), or even unknown to the victim (WHO, 2002). There is a considerable body of research demonstrating that autistic children are at increased risk of child abuse, neglect and peer victimisation (Hellstrom, 2019;Mandell et al, 2005;Trundle et al, 2022) and that such maltreatment and abuse is associated with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation (Mayes et al, 2013;Richa et al, 2104;Storch et al, 2012).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘Maybe we just seem like easy targets’: A qualitative analysis of autistic adults’ experiences of interpersonal violence

Gibbs

Pellicano

2023

Autism

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Research has consistently found high rates of victimisation among autistic children. There is emerging evidence that disproportionate victimisation continues into adulthood, however the extent, nature and impact and the mechanisms that underlie high rates of interpersonal violence are not well understood. Here we investigate the nature and impact of violence experiences using qualitative methods. Twenty-two autistic adults who had experienced interpersonal violence during adulthood participated in semi-structured interviews. We analysed the data using a thematic analysis to identify key themes. Violence was commonplace in their own lives and in the lives of other autistic people that they knew, to the extent that violence had become normalised. They spoke of the impacts of these experiences on their mental health, self-concept and subsequent relationships and of how these impacts were exacerbated when their disclosures were dismissed by others. They reported that certain autistic characteristics might make them more vulnerable and of how such characteristics were often shaped by repeated experiences of invalidation and pressure to conform within a neurotypical world. These findings demonstrate the importance of developing ways to improve the personal safety of autistic people which must include the broader social factors that at least partly contribute to these distressing experiences. Lay abstract Research has consistently shown that autistic children are more likely to be victimised than non-autistic children. More recently, studies have also found that autistic adults report experiencing more violence than non-autistic adults however the circumstances surrounding these incidents and the reasons for this are not clear. We wanted to learn more about violence during adulthood for autistic people including what led up to these incidents and what happened afterwards. We spoke to 22 autistic adults who had experienced violence and analysed what they told us to look for common themes. They told us that violence was commonplace in their own lives and in the lives of other autistic people that they know, so much so that they had even come to expect it to happen. They also talked about the negative effect these experiences had on their mental health, the way they felt about themselves and their ability to trust people. This was made worse if people did not believe them when they disclosed what had happened to them. They told us that certain autistic characteristics might make them more vulnerable like being too trusting or going along with people just to please them. They thought that some of these characteristics had been shaped by their experiences, especially being told that that their thoughts, feelings or behaviours were wrong and being pressured to change the way they behaved to ‘fit in’. These findings are important in helping us to understand how to improve the personal safety of autistic people.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Maybe we just seem like easy targets’: A qualitative analysis of autistic adults’ experiences of interpersonal violence

Gibbs

Pellicano

2023

Autism

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“…Importantly, the literature suggests that autism is associated with a significantly increased exposure to toxic stress in childhood and adolescence. Children with ASC are statistically more likely to experience early adversity (83), social vulnerability and isolation (84), bullying, discrimination, and ostracism (85), and other forms of victimization (86). Differences with respect to social communication, development and integration can make it difficult for autistic children to feel a sense of "safety and stability" among their peers.…”

Section: Early Life Stress Chronic Adolescent Stress and Allostatic L...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A molecular framework for autistic experiences: Mitochondrial allostatic load as a mediator between autism and psychopathology

Mahony

O’Ryan

2022

Front. Psychiatry

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Molecular autism research is evolving toward a biopsychosocial framework that is more informed by autistic experiences. In this context, research aims are moving away from correcting external autistic behaviors and toward alleviating internal distress. Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) are associated with high rates of depression, suicidality and other comorbid psychopathologies, but this relationship is poorly understood. Here, we integrate emerging characterizations of internal autistic experiences within a molecular framework to yield insight into the prevalence of psychopathology in ASC. We demonstrate that descriptions of social camouflaging and autistic burnout resonate closely with the accepted definitions for early life stress (ELS) and chronic adolescent stress (CAS). We propose that social camouflaging could be considered a distinct form of CAS that contributes to allostatic overload, culminating in a pathophysiological state that is experienced as autistic burnout. Autistic burnout is thought to contribute to psychopathology via psychological and physiological mechanisms, but these remain largely unexplored by molecular researchers. Building on converging fields in molecular neuroscience, we discuss the substantial evidence implicating mitochondrial dysfunction in ASC to propose a novel role for mitochondrial allostatic load in the relationship between autism and psychopathology. An interplay between mitochondrial, neuroimmune and neuroendocrine signaling is increasingly implicated in stress-related psychopathologies, and these molecular players are also associated with neurodevelopmental, neurophysiological and neurochemical aspects of ASC. Together, this suggests an increased exposure and underlying molecular susceptibility to ELS that increases the risk of psychopathology in ASC. This article describes an integrative framework shaped by autistic experiences that highlights novel avenues for molecular research into mechanisms that directly affect the quality of life and wellbeing of autistic individuals. Moreover, this framework emphasizes the need for increased access to diagnoses, accommodations, and resources to improve mental health outcomes in autism.

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“…Importantly, the literature suggests that autism is associated with a significantly increased exposure to toxic stress in childhood and adolescence. Children with ASC are statistically more likely to experience early adversity (76), social vulnerability and isolation (77), bullying, discrimination, and ostracism (78), and other forms of victimization (79). Differences with respect to social communication, development and integration can make it difficult for autistic children to feel a sense of "safety and stability" among their peers.…”

Section: Early Life Stress Chronic Adolescent Stress and Allostatic L...mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Molecular Framework for Autistic Experiences: Mitochondrial Allostatic Load as A Mediator between Autism and Psychopathology

Mahony¹,

O’Ryan²

2022

Preprint

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Molecular autism research is evolving towards a biopsychosocial framework that is more informed by autistic experiences. In this context, research aims are moving away from correcting external autistic behaviors and towards alleviating internal distress. Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) are associated with high rates of depression, suicidality and other comorbid psychopathologies, but this relationship is poorly understood. Here, we integrate emerging characterizations of internal autistic experiences within a molecular framework to yield insight into the prevalence of psychopathology in ASC. We demonstrate that descriptions of social camouflaging and autistic burnout resonate closely with the accepted definitions for early life stress (ELS) and chronic adolescent stress (CAS). We propose that social camouflaging could be considered a distinct form of CAS that contributes to allostatic overload, culminating in a pathophysiological state that is experienced as autistic burnout. Autistic burnout is thought to contribute to psychopathology via psychological and physiological mechanisms, but these remain largely unexplored by molecular researchers. Building on converging fields in molecular neuroscience, we discuss the substantial evidence implicating mitochondrial dysfunction in ASC to propose a novel role for mitochondrial allostatic load in the relationship between autism and psychopathology. An interplay between mitochondrial, neuroimmune and neuroendocrine signaling is increasingly implicated in stress-related psychopathologies, and these molecular players are also associated with neurodevelopmental, neurophysiological and neurochemical aspects of ASC etiology. Together, this suggests an increased exposure and underlying molecular susceptibility to ELS that increases the risk of psychopathology in ASC. This article describes an integrative framework shaped by autistic experiences that highlights novel avenues for molecular research into mechanisms that directly affect the quality of life and well-being of autistic individuals. Moreover, this framework emphasizes the need for increased access to diagnoses, accommodations, and resources to improve mental health outcomes in autism.

show abstract

Prevalence of Victimisation in Autistic Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cited by 34 publications

References 65 publications

‘Maybe we just seem like easy targets’: A qualitative analysis of autistic adults’ experiences of interpersonal violence

‘Maybe we just seem like easy targets’: A qualitative analysis of autistic adults’ experiences of interpersonal violence

A molecular framework for autistic experiences: Mitochondrial allostatic load as a mediator between autism and psychopathology

A Molecular Framework for Autistic Experiences: Mitochondrial Allostatic Load as A Mediator between Autism and Psychopathology

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