Confirming the nature of autistic burnout / Samuel RC ARNOLD in Autism, 27-7 (October 2023)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 27-7 (October 2023) . - p.1906-1918 Titre : Confirming the nature of autistic burnout Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Samuel RC ARNOLD, Auteur ; Julianne M HIGGINS, Auteur ; Janelle WEISE, Auteur ; Aishani DESAI, Auteur ; Elizabeth PELLICANO, Auteur ; Julian N TROLLOR, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1906-1918 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  autistic burnout  burnout  camouflaging  double empathy  masking Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic burnout is an experience commonly described by autistic people (#AutBurnout and #AutisticBurnout on social media). Recently, two definitions of this syndrome have been published. Both describe debilitating exhaustion with onset related to various stressors including masking, though several differences exist, such as the characteristic of interpersonal withdrawal. We sought to explore the content validity of these definitions including duration and frequency criteria, using descriptive statistics, content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis. A co-produced survey of 141 autistic adults with experience of autistic burnout showed strong endorsement of the definition by Higgins et al., where exhaustion and interpersonal withdrawal occur alongside reduced functioning, executive functioning difficulties, and increased manifestation of autistic traits. Duration and frequency criteria were unresolved, with qualitative data highlighting varying (both acute and chronic) experiences. Autistic burnout is frequently misdiagnosed as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or other conditions. Work is needed to increase community and clinician awareness, as well as initiatives to improve unaccommodating neurotypical environments. More research and validation are needed in larger samples not restricted to autistic adults who have experienced autistic burnout to determine prevalence and risk factors as well as duration and frequency.Lay abstractAutistic burnout is something autistic people have been talking about for a while (see #AutBurnout and #AutisticBurnout on social media). Recently, researchers published two different definitions of autistic burnout. We wanted to test these definitions. We wanted to confirm the duration and frequency of autistic burnout. That is, how long and how often do people get autistic burnout? We surveyed 141 autistic adults who had autistic burnout. We used descriptive statistics, content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis to analyse the survey responses. Autistic adults strongly agreed with the definition published by Higgins et al. How long and how often people get autistic burnout was not clear. Participants told us they have both short and long episodes. Participants told us that autistic burnout leads to exhaustion. They needed to withdraw from being with other people. They needed to stay away from autism unfriendly places. Many had been misdiagnosed as having depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or other conditions. We need increased awareness of autistic burnout. Autistic people need more help. More research is needed, we need to have bigger studies to understand autistic burnout. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613221147410 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=510 [article] Confirming the nature of autistic burnout [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Samuel RC ARNOLD, Auteur ; Julianne M HIGGINS, Auteur ; Janelle WEISE, Auteur ; Aishani DESAI, Auteur ; Elizabeth PELLICANO, Auteur ; Julian N TROLLOR, Auteur . - p.1906-1918. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 27-7 (October 2023) . - p.1906-1918 Mots-clés : autism  autistic burnout  burnout  camouflaging  double empathy  masking Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic burnout is an experience commonly described by autistic people (#AutBurnout and #AutisticBurnout on social media). Recently, two definitions of this syndrome have been published. Both describe debilitating exhaustion with onset related to various stressors including masking, though several differences exist, such as the characteristic of interpersonal withdrawal. We sought to explore the content validity of these definitions including duration and frequency criteria, using descriptive statistics, content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis. A co-produced survey of 141 autistic adults with experience of autistic burnout showed strong endorsement of the definition by Higgins et al., where exhaustion and interpersonal withdrawal occur alongside reduced functioning, executive functioning difficulties, and increased manifestation of autistic traits. Duration and frequency criteria were unresolved, with qualitative data highlighting varying (both acute and chronic) experiences. Autistic burnout is frequently misdiagnosed as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or other conditions. Work is needed to increase community and clinician awareness, as well as initiatives to improve unaccommodating neurotypical environments. More research and validation are needed in larger samples not restricted to autistic adults who have experienced autistic burnout to determine prevalence and risk factors as well as duration and frequency.Lay abstractAutistic burnout is something autistic people have been talking about for a while (see #AutBurnout and #AutisticBurnout on social media). Recently, researchers published two different definitions of autistic burnout. We wanted to test these definitions. We wanted to confirm the duration and frequency of autistic burnout. That is, how long and how often do people get autistic burnout? We surveyed 141 autistic adults who had autistic burnout. We used descriptive statistics, content analysis and reflexive thematic analysis to analyse the survey responses. Autistic adults strongly agreed with the definition published by Higgins et al. How long and how often people get autistic burnout was not clear. Participants told us they have both short and long episodes. Participants told us that autistic burnout leads to exhaustion. They needed to withdraw from being with other people. They needed to stay away from autism unfriendly places. Many had been misdiagnosed as having depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or other conditions. We need increased awareness of autistic burnout. Autistic people need more help. More research is needed, we need to have bigger studies to understand autistic burnout. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613221147410 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=510

Lifetime stressor exposure is related to suicidality in autistic adults: A multinational study / Rachel L MOSELEY in Autism, 29-5 (May 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-5 (May 2025) . - p.1184-1208 Titre : Lifetime stressor exposure is related to suicidality in autistic adults: A multinational study Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Rachel L MOSELEY, Auteur ; Darren HEDLEY, Auteur ; Julie M GAMBLE-TURNER, Auteur ; Mirko ULJAREVI?, Auteur ; Simon M BURY, Auteur ; Grant S SHIELDS, Auteur ; Julian N TROLLOR, Auteur ; Mark A STOKES, Auteur ; George M SLAVICH, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1184-1208 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : gender  life stress  psychopathology  STRAIN  suicide Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Despite very high rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) in autistic adults, the key psychosocial drivers of this phenomenon remain unknown. To investigate, we examined how lifetime stressor exposure and severity, which have been found to predict STB in non-autistic populations, related to STB in a multinational dataset of 226 autistic adults from the United Kingdom and Australia (67% female; Mage = 41.8, SD = 13.6, range = 19-73?years old). Results revealed that autistic men and women differ with respect to the count, severity, and type of stressors they experienced over the life course. Whereas autistic men were exposed to more numerous legal/crime-related stressors, autistic women experienced more stressors related to social relationships and chronic humiliation and typically experienced stressors as more severe. In addition, whereas chronic interpersonal loss was related to STB for men, acute stressors involving physical danger and lower exposure to chronic entrapment were related to STB in autistic women. These findings indicate that certain lifetime stressors may be differentially experienced, and relevant to STB, in autistic men versus women. They also suggest that screening for lifetime stressor exposure may help identify autistic individuals at greatest risk of suicide.Lay abstract When we encounter life events that we experience as stressful ("stressors"), it sets off a biological stress response that can impact mental health and contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). Although we know about specific stressors that are associated with STB in the general population, little is known about the kinds of stressors that increase the risk of STB in autistic people and whether these associations differ by gender. To examine this issue, we cataloged the life stressors that autistic men and women experienced over the entire life course and investigated how these stressors were related to STB. Data were derived from a multinational sample of 226 autistic adults from the United Kingdom and Australia who completed the Stress and Adversity Inventory for Adults. We found that autistic men and women differed in terms of both the lifetime stressors they experienced as well as their perceived severity. Whereas men experienced more legal/crime-related stressors, women experienced more stressors related to relationships with other people and more long-lasting stressors associated with humiliation. Autistic women often perceived life stressors as more severe than men, which is important given that it is the perceived severity of stressors that most strongly affects our health. We also found that different stressors may predict STB in autistic men versus women. Whereas loss of loved ones was most strongly associated with STB for men, for women, physically dangerous stressors were most relevant. In addition, women with fewer lifetime stressors involving entrapment had higher lifetime STB. These results suggest that lifetime stressor exposure may be important to assess to understand suicide risk in autistic people. Additional research is needed to confirm these associations and to examine possible mechanisms linking stress and STB. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241299872 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=555 [article] Lifetime stressor exposure is related to suicidality in autistic adults: A multinational study [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Rachel L MOSELEY, Auteur ; Darren HEDLEY, Auteur ; Julie M GAMBLE-TURNER, Auteur ; Mirko ULJAREVI?, Auteur ; Simon M BURY, Auteur ; Grant S SHIELDS, Auteur ; Julian N TROLLOR, Auteur ; Mark A STOKES, Auteur ; George M SLAVICH, Auteur . - p.1184-1208. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-5 (May 2025) . - p.1184-1208 Mots-clés : gender  life stress  psychopathology  STRAIN  suicide Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Despite very high rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) in autistic adults, the key psychosocial drivers of this phenomenon remain unknown. To investigate, we examined how lifetime stressor exposure and severity, which have been found to predict STB in non-autistic populations, related to STB in a multinational dataset of 226 autistic adults from the United Kingdom and Australia (67% female; Mage = 41.8, SD = 13.6, range = 19-73?years old). Results revealed that autistic men and women differ with respect to the count, severity, and type of stressors they experienced over the life course. Whereas autistic men were exposed to more numerous legal/crime-related stressors, autistic women experienced more stressors related to social relationships and chronic humiliation and typically experienced stressors as more severe. In addition, whereas chronic interpersonal loss was related to STB for men, acute stressors involving physical danger and lower exposure to chronic entrapment were related to STB in autistic women. These findings indicate that certain lifetime stressors may be differentially experienced, and relevant to STB, in autistic men versus women. They also suggest that screening for lifetime stressor exposure may help identify autistic individuals at greatest risk of suicide.Lay abstract When we encounter life events that we experience as stressful ("stressors"), it sets off a biological stress response that can impact mental health and contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB). Although we know about specific stressors that are associated with STB in the general population, little is known about the kinds of stressors that increase the risk of STB in autistic people and whether these associations differ by gender. To examine this issue, we cataloged the life stressors that autistic men and women experienced over the entire life course and investigated how these stressors were related to STB. Data were derived from a multinational sample of 226 autistic adults from the United Kingdom and Australia who completed the Stress and Adversity Inventory for Adults. We found that autistic men and women differed in terms of both the lifetime stressors they experienced as well as their perceived severity. Whereas men experienced more legal/crime-related stressors, women experienced more stressors related to relationships with other people and more long-lasting stressors associated with humiliation. Autistic women often perceived life stressors as more severe than men, which is important given that it is the perceived severity of stressors that most strongly affects our health. We also found that different stressors may predict STB in autistic men versus women. Whereas loss of loved ones was most strongly associated with STB for men, for women, physically dangerous stressors were most relevant. In addition, women with fewer lifetime stressors involving entrapment had higher lifetime STB. These results suggest that lifetime stressor exposure may be important to assess to understand suicide risk in autistic people. Additional research is needed to confirm these associations and to examine possible mechanisms linking stress and STB. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241299872 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=555

Towards the measurement of autistic burnout / Samuel RC ARNOLD in Autism, 27-7 (October 2023)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 27-7 (October 2023) . - p.1933-1948 Titre : Towards the measurement of autistic burnout Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Samuel RC ARNOLD, Auteur ; Julianne M HIGGINS, Auteur ; Janelle WEISE, Auteur ; Aishani DESAI, Auteur ; Elizabeth PELLICANO, Auteur ; Julian N TROLLOR, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1933-1948 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  autistic burnout  burnout  camouflaging  double empathy  masking Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Studies are emerging documenting the experience of fatigue, exhaustion and loss of functioning that has long been described by autistic adults as autistic burnout. New assessment tools are needed to enable identification and diagnosis. Here, we sought to identify factors associated with severity, develop an autistic burnout assessment and test the prepublication AASPIRE Autistic Burnout Measure tool. A co-produced survey of 141 autistic adults with experience of autistic burnout (98% above cut-off for depression) was subjected to exploratory factor analysis and scale reduction to identify a grouping of Autistic Burnout Severity Items. Autistic Burnout Severity Items showed strong overall internal consistency and acceptable internal consistency across four factors. Masking and depression were associated with the Autistic Burnout Severity Items, once variation in alexithymia, interoception, repetitive behaviours, sensory sensitivities and autism severity had been adjusted for. There is some suggestion that the Autistic Burnout Measure may not be as robust as the Autistic Burnout Severity Items, particularly as it showed a significant relationship with depression but not masking. Our findings alongside recent literature highlight a core phenomenon, comprising exhaustion, withdrawal and cognitive overload, associated with stressors potentially unique to autistic people. Further disambiguation from autistic shutdown and other conditions is needed in work towards the measurement of autistic burnout.Lay abstractAutistic burnout has been talked about by autistic adults for some time on blogs and in social media. Now, research describes fatigue, exhaustion and other related symptoms experienced by autistic people. We need new ways to help identify autistic burnout. In this study, we tested a new questionnaire called the AASPIRE Autistic Burnout Measure, and we investigated things that are linked to worse autistic burnout. We also trialled a group of Autistic Burnout Severity Items that we made. Working with an autistic researcher, we made the Autistic Burnout Severity Items based on published definitions of autistic burnout. Autistic adults (n=141) who had experienced autistic burnout completed an online survey. We found that autistic burnout was connected to masking and depression. The Autistic Burnout Measure tool was associated with depression but not with masking. It was not very accurate in telling apart participants who were currently experiencing burnout versus those who were reporting on their past experience. The Autistic Burnout Severity Items might have problems with subscales adding together to measure autistic burnout. More work is needed on how to measure autistic burnout. Our research and other recent studies show autistic people experience a combination of exhaustion, withdrawal and problems with their concentration and thinking. Burnout seems to be linked to the stress experienced by autistic people in their daily lives. We need more research to understand the difference between autistic burnout and other conditions and experiences. We need to develop assessment tools that can help identify this burnout. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613221147401 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=510 [article] Towards the measurement of autistic burnout [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Samuel RC ARNOLD, Auteur ; Julianne M HIGGINS, Auteur ; Janelle WEISE, Auteur ; Aishani DESAI, Auteur ; Elizabeth PELLICANO, Auteur ; Julian N TROLLOR, Auteur . - p.1933-1948. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 27-7 (October 2023) . - p.1933-1948 Mots-clés : autism  autistic burnout  burnout  camouflaging  double empathy  masking Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Studies are emerging documenting the experience of fatigue, exhaustion and loss of functioning that has long been described by autistic adults as autistic burnout. New assessment tools are needed to enable identification and diagnosis. Here, we sought to identify factors associated with severity, develop an autistic burnout assessment and test the prepublication AASPIRE Autistic Burnout Measure tool. A co-produced survey of 141 autistic adults with experience of autistic burnout (98% above cut-off for depression) was subjected to exploratory factor analysis and scale reduction to identify a grouping of Autistic Burnout Severity Items. Autistic Burnout Severity Items showed strong overall internal consistency and acceptable internal consistency across four factors. Masking and depression were associated with the Autistic Burnout Severity Items, once variation in alexithymia, interoception, repetitive behaviours, sensory sensitivities and autism severity had been adjusted for. There is some suggestion that the Autistic Burnout Measure may not be as robust as the Autistic Burnout Severity Items, particularly as it showed a significant relationship with depression but not masking. Our findings alongside recent literature highlight a core phenomenon, comprising exhaustion, withdrawal and cognitive overload, associated with stressors potentially unique to autistic people. Further disambiguation from autistic shutdown and other conditions is needed in work towards the measurement of autistic burnout.Lay abstractAutistic burnout has been talked about by autistic adults for some time on blogs and in social media. Now, research describes fatigue, exhaustion and other related symptoms experienced by autistic people. We need new ways to help identify autistic burnout. In this study, we tested a new questionnaire called the AASPIRE Autistic Burnout Measure, and we investigated things that are linked to worse autistic burnout. We also trialled a group of Autistic Burnout Severity Items that we made. Working with an autistic researcher, we made the Autistic Burnout Severity Items based on published definitions of autistic burnout. Autistic adults (n=141) who had experienced autistic burnout completed an online survey. We found that autistic burnout was connected to masking and depression. The Autistic Burnout Measure tool was associated with depression but not with masking. It was not very accurate in telling apart participants who were currently experiencing burnout versus those who were reporting on their past experience. The Autistic Burnout Severity Items might have problems with subscales adding together to measure autistic burnout. More work is needed on how to measure autistic burnout. Our research and other recent studies show autistic people experience a combination of exhaustion, withdrawal and problems with their concentration and thinking. Burnout seems to be linked to the stress experienced by autistic people in their daily lives. We need more research to understand the difference between autistic burnout and other conditions and experiences. We need to develop assessment tools that can help identify this burnout. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613221147401 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=510

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