Sticking with it: Psychotherapy outcomes for adults with autism spectrum disorder in a university counseling center setting

Anderberg, Emily; Cox, Jon; Tass, E. Shannon; Erekson, David M.; Gabrielsen, Terisa P.; Warren, Judith J.; Cline, Jared; Petersen, Devin; South, Mikle

doi:10.1002/aur.1843

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…For example, autistic people may need support with emotional literacy prior to psychological therapies if they have difficulties identifying and describing their emotions. Given difficulties with communication, flexible thinking and adapting behaviour in many autistic people, psychological therapy is effective but takes longer and thus requires a higher number of sessions (Anderberg et al 2017). Participants in this study described that it took much longer to establish a rapport with their therapist or support worker, but there were too few sessions, which caused much anxiety when they came to an end.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘People like me don’t get support’: Autistic adults’ experiences of support and treatment for mental health difficulties, self-injury and suicidality

Camm-Crosbie

Bradley

Shaw

et al. 2018

Autism

236

238

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Autistic people are at high risk of mental health problems, self-injury and suicidality. However, no studies have explored autistic peoples’ experiences of treatment and support for these difficulties. In partnership with a steering group of autistic adults, an online survey was developed to explore these individuals’ experiences of treatment and support for mental health problems, self-injury and suicidality for the first time. A total of 200 autistic adults (122 females, 77 males and 1 unreported) aged 18–67 (mean = 38.9 years, standard deviation = 11.5), without co-occurring intellectual disability, completed the online survey. Thematic analysis of open-ended questions resulted in an overarching theme that individually tailored treatment and support was both beneficial and desirable, which consisted of three underlying themes: (1) difficulties in accessing treatment and support; (2) lack of understanding and knowledge of autistic people with co-occurring mental health difficulties and (3) appropriate treatment and support, or lack of, impacted autistic people’s well-being and likelihood of seeing suicide as their future. Findings demonstrate an urgent need for autism treatment pathways in mental health services.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘People like me don’t get support’: Autistic adults’ experiences of support and treatment for mental health difficulties, self-injury and suicidality

Camm-Crosbie

Bradley

Shaw

et al. 2018

Autism

236

238

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“…More broadly, the comfort and effectiveness of the intervention experience may be improved through accommodations such as involvement of a support person and allowing diverse methods of communication (Nicolaidis et al, 2015;Robertson et al, 2018). One recent study observed psychotherapy outcomes in a college counselling setting for 76 autistic adults and concluded that while desirable outcomes may be achieved with psychotherapy, autistic adults may require more extended treatment periods and have unique communication needs compared with non-autistic adults (Anderberg et al, 2017). Such findings are important for considering the impact of session caps and counselling techniques for autistic populations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding anxiety in adults on the autism spectrum: An investigation of its relationship with intolerance of uncertainty, sensory sensitivities and repetitive behaviours

Hwang

Arnold

Srasuebkul

et al. 2019

Autism

106

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Anxiety is present in high rates in both children and adults on the autism spectrum. An increasing number of studies have highlighted the potentially important role that intolerance of uncertainty may have in anxiety for those on the spectrum, as well as their interrelationships with sensory sensitivities and repetitive behaviours. In response to a lack of studies involving adults, this study examined self-report survey data regarding intolerance of uncertainty, sensory sensitivities, repetitive behaviours and anxiety in a sample of 176 adults on the autism spectrum (mean age = 42). Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety were both found to be elevated relative to non-autistic adults ( N = 116) and significant, positive correlations were found between intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety, repetitive behaviours and sensory sensitivities in those on the spectrum. Intolerance of uncertainty was found to be a significant mediator between sensory sensitivities and anxiety, as well as between anxiety and insistence on sameness behaviours. These results were not sensitive to age. Intolerance of uncertainty is an important factor to be considered in the conceptualisation and management of elevated rates of anxiety for adults on the autism spectrum.

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“…The slow progress of clients with autism reflects the findings of a large ( N = 40,792) quantitative study (Anderberg et al, 2017). In this retrospective comparative study, people with autism achieved the same level of benefit from counselling as neurotypical people after receiving, on average, twice as many sessions.…”

Section: Literature Review and Rationalementioning

confidence: 77%

How talking therapists experience working with adult clients who have autism

Brook

2022

Couns and Psychother Res

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This research aims to gain new insight by exploring the thoughts, feelings and experiences of therapists working with clients who have autism. Three professional talking therapists participated in the study. Unstructured interviews were conducted and analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Six main themes and 13 sub‐themes were found which include therapists’ validation of autism, how therapists integrated autism when addressing mental health problems, how their personal experiences of autism impacted on their work and how they experienced the situation in which autism emerges during the therapy. Helpful suggestions are made for clinicians, namely, to zoom‐in and zoom‐out of autism, hold the knowledge that people with autism process information differently, incorporate working with trauma, consider disclosing a personal connection to autism and consider carefully whether, or not, to tell a client that they may have autism.

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Sticking with it: Psychotherapy outcomes for adults with autism spectrum disorder in a university counseling center setting

Cited by 13 publications

References 22 publications

‘People like me don’t get support’: Autistic adults’ experiences of support and treatment for mental health difficulties, self-injury and suicidality

‘People like me don’t get support’: Autistic adults’ experiences of support and treatment for mental health difficulties, self-injury and suicidality

Understanding anxiety in adults on the autism spectrum: An investigation of its relationship with intolerance of uncertainty, sensory sensitivities and repetitive behaviours

How talking therapists experience working with adult clients who have autism

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