Camouflaging in autism: A cause or a consequence of mental health difficulties? / Audrey JJ MOL ; Tulsi A RADHOE ; Carolien TORENVLIET ; Joost A AGELINK VAN RENTERGEM ; Annabeth P GROENMAN ; Hilde M GEURTS in Autism, 29-10 (October 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-10 (October 2025) . - p.2604-2617 Titre : Camouflaging in autism: A cause or a consequence of mental health difficulties? Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Audrey JJ MOL, Auteur ; Tulsi A RADHOE, Auteur ; Carolien TORENVLIET, Auteur ; Joost A AGELINK VAN RENTERGEM, Auteur ; Annabeth P GROENMAN, Auteur ; Hilde M GEURTS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2604-2617 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  camouflaging  mental health difficulties Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Camouflaging ([un]consciously hiding one?s autism traits) is hypothesized to be an underlying mechanism explaining elevated levels of mental health difficulties in autistic adults. As previous studies investigating this relationship were all cross-sectional, the direction of this association remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether (1) camouflaging predicts a change in mental health difficulties and (2) mental health difficulties predict a change in camouflaging. For this, 332 autistic adults aged 30 to 84?years (157 women) filled in the Dutch Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90 Revised, and Autism Spectrum Quotient at two timepoints with an average time interval of 2?years. Preregistered multilevel analyses showed a negative interaction between initial camouflaging and time, indicating that people with higher initial levels of camouflaging showed a decrease in mental health difficulties, while for lower initial levels of camouflaging there was an increase. However, this effect was small. Initial mental health difficulties did not predict changes in camouflaging behavior, but findings were inconsistent across total camouflaging and assimilation. Thus, we did not find strong evidence for camouflaging to be associated with development of mental health difficulties. However, future research is needed before we can draw strong conclusions about directionality and causality.Plain Language Summary When autistic people use strategies to hide their autism traits, we refer to this as camouflaging. It has been thought that camouflaging could be a reason why autistic people develop mental health difficulties more often than non-autistic people. Research has shown that, in general, people who report more camouflaging behavior also report more mental health difficulties. However, we do not know whether camouflaging can be a reason for people to develop mental health difficulties or whether mental health difficulties may explain why autistic people use camouflaging strategies. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether (1) camouflaging is a predictor for a change in mental health difficulties and (2) mental health difficulties are a predictor for a change in camouflaging. For this study, 332 autistic adults aged 30 to 84?years (157 women) filled in questionnaires about camouflaging, mental health difficulties, and autism traits at two moments with an average of 2?years between measurements. We found that people with a higher level of initial camouflaging showed a decrease in mental health difficulties, while for people with lower levels of initial camouflaging behavior there was an increase in mental health difficulties. However, this effect was small. Initial mental health difficulties did not seem to predict a change in camouflaging behavior. Thus, we did not find evidence that camouflaging was followed by an increase in mental health difficulties. Therefore, future research is needed before we can draw strong conclusions about what comes first and what causes what, camouflaging or mental health. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251347104 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=567 [article] Camouflaging in autism: A cause or a consequence of mental health difficulties? [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Audrey JJ MOL, Auteur ; Tulsi A RADHOE, Auteur ; Carolien TORENVLIET, Auteur ; Joost A AGELINK VAN RENTERGEM, Auteur ; Annabeth P GROENMAN, Auteur ; Hilde M GEURTS, Auteur . - p.2604-2617. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-10 (October 2025) . - p.2604-2617 Mots-clés : autism  camouflaging  mental health difficulties Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Camouflaging ([un]consciously hiding one?s autism traits) is hypothesized to be an underlying mechanism explaining elevated levels of mental health difficulties in autistic adults. As previous studies investigating this relationship were all cross-sectional, the direction of this association remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether (1) camouflaging predicts a change in mental health difficulties and (2) mental health difficulties predict a change in camouflaging. For this, 332 autistic adults aged 30 to 84?years (157 women) filled in the Dutch Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90 Revised, and Autism Spectrum Quotient at two timepoints with an average time interval of 2?years. Preregistered multilevel analyses showed a negative interaction between initial camouflaging and time, indicating that people with higher initial levels of camouflaging showed a decrease in mental health difficulties, while for lower initial levels of camouflaging there was an increase. However, this effect was small. Initial mental health difficulties did not predict changes in camouflaging behavior, but findings were inconsistent across total camouflaging and assimilation. Thus, we did not find strong evidence for camouflaging to be associated with development of mental health difficulties. However, future research is needed before we can draw strong conclusions about directionality and causality.Plain Language Summary When autistic people use strategies to hide their autism traits, we refer to this as camouflaging. It has been thought that camouflaging could be a reason why autistic people develop mental health difficulties more often than non-autistic people. Research has shown that, in general, people who report more camouflaging behavior also report more mental health difficulties. However, we do not know whether camouflaging can be a reason for people to develop mental health difficulties or whether mental health difficulties may explain why autistic people use camouflaging strategies. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether (1) camouflaging is a predictor for a change in mental health difficulties and (2) mental health difficulties are a predictor for a change in camouflaging. For this study, 332 autistic adults aged 30 to 84?years (157 women) filled in questionnaires about camouflaging, mental health difficulties, and autism traits at two moments with an average of 2?years between measurements. We found that people with a higher level of initial camouflaging showed a decrease in mental health difficulties, while for people with lower levels of initial camouflaging behavior there was an increase in mental health difficulties. However, this effect was small. Initial mental health difficulties did not seem to predict a change in camouflaging behavior. Thus, we did not find evidence that camouflaging was followed by an increase in mental health difficulties. Therefore, future research is needed before we can draw strong conclusions about what comes first and what causes what, camouflaging or mental health. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251347104 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=567

The relationship between camouflaging and mental health: Are there differences among subgroups in autistic adults? / Wikke J. VAN DER PUTTEN in Autism, 28-4 (April 2024)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 28-4 (April 2024) . - p.908-919 Titre : The relationship between camouflaging and mental health: Are there differences among subgroups in autistic adults? Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Wikke J. VAN DER PUTTEN, Auteur ; Audrey JJ MOL, Auteur ; Tulsi A. RADHOE, Auteur ; Carolien TORENVLIET, Auteur ; Joost A. AGELINK VAN RENTERGEM, Auteur ; Annabeth P. GROENMAN, Auteur ; Hilde M. GEURTS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.908-919 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : camouflaging,heterogeneity,mental health,psychiatric problems,subgroups Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Camouflaging is hypothesized to play an important role in developing mental health difficulties. But this might not be true for everyone. It remains unclear for whom camouflaging is associated with mental health. In this preregistered study (AsPredicted #45095), we investigated whether (1) camouflaging and mental health were associated and (2) we could detect subgroups with a different association between camouflaging and mental health. For this study, 352 autistic adults aged 30-84?years filled in, among others, the Dutch Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire to measure camouflaging and the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised to measure mental health difficulties. We found a moderate correlation between camouflaging and mental health difficulties (r = 0.45). However, there was only a strong association between camouflaging and mental health in a small subgroup, while the association was small in most autistic adults. For varying levels of negative affect and (to a lesser extent) autism traits, the association between camouflaging and mental health differed, but not for biological sex, age, or educational level. Thus, while one should be careful with group-based conclusions regarding the (negative) impact of camouflaging, camouflaging can be important to consider in clinical practice, especially for people with a substantial level of negative affect. Lay abstract When autistic people use strategies to hide their autistic characteristics, we call this camouflaging. Autistic adults suggested that camouflaging can result in mental health difficulties. That is, people who report to camouflage also report mental health difficulties. However, since there are many differences between autistic people, this relationship may also differ between subgroups. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether camouflaging and mental health difficulties are related and whether this relationship is equal for all autistic adults. For this study, 352 autistic adults aged 30-84?years filled in the Dutch Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire to measure camouflaging and the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised to measure mental health difficulties. We found that camouflaging was moderately related to mental health difficulties. This means that people who report more camouflaging also report more mental health difficulties. When we looked closer, we found that this relationship was strong for only a small subgroup of autistic adults. In most other autistic adults, there was a small or no relationship between camouflaging and mental health difficulties. Therefore, it is important that clinicians are aware of camouflaging and its possible relationship with mental health difficulties, but that they do not generalize the negative consequences to everyone. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231185402 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=525 [article] The relationship between camouflaging and mental health: Are there differences among subgroups in autistic adults? [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Wikke J. VAN DER PUTTEN, Auteur ; Audrey JJ MOL, Auteur ; Tulsi A. RADHOE, Auteur ; Carolien TORENVLIET, Auteur ; Joost A. AGELINK VAN RENTERGEM, Auteur ; Annabeth P. GROENMAN, Auteur ; Hilde M. GEURTS, Auteur . - p.908-919. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 28-4 (April 2024) . - p.908-919 Mots-clés : camouflaging,heterogeneity,mental health,psychiatric problems,subgroups Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Camouflaging is hypothesized to play an important role in developing mental health difficulties. But this might not be true for everyone. It remains unclear for whom camouflaging is associated with mental health. In this preregistered study (AsPredicted #45095), we investigated whether (1) camouflaging and mental health were associated and (2) we could detect subgroups with a different association between camouflaging and mental health. For this study, 352 autistic adults aged 30-84?years filled in, among others, the Dutch Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire to measure camouflaging and the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised to measure mental health difficulties. We found a moderate correlation between camouflaging and mental health difficulties (r = 0.45). However, there was only a strong association between camouflaging and mental health in a small subgroup, while the association was small in most autistic adults. For varying levels of negative affect and (to a lesser extent) autism traits, the association between camouflaging and mental health differed, but not for biological sex, age, or educational level. Thus, while one should be careful with group-based conclusions regarding the (negative) impact of camouflaging, camouflaging can be important to consider in clinical practice, especially for people with a substantial level of negative affect. Lay abstract When autistic people use strategies to hide their autistic characteristics, we call this camouflaging. Autistic adults suggested that camouflaging can result in mental health difficulties. That is, people who report to camouflage also report mental health difficulties. However, since there are many differences between autistic people, this relationship may also differ between subgroups. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether camouflaging and mental health difficulties are related and whether this relationship is equal for all autistic adults. For this study, 352 autistic adults aged 30-84?years filled in the Dutch Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire to measure camouflaging and the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised to measure mental health difficulties. We found that camouflaging was moderately related to mental health difficulties. This means that people who report more camouflaging also report more mental health difficulties. When we looked closer, we found that this relationship was strong for only a small subgroup of autistic adults. In most other autistic adults, there was a small or no relationship between camouflaging and mental health difficulties. Therefore, it is important that clinicians are aware of camouflaging and its possible relationship with mental health difficulties, but that they do not generalize the negative consequences to everyone. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231185402 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=525

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