‘Feeling constantly kicked down’: A qualitative phenomenological study exploring rejection sensitivity in autistic adults / Alvin van ASSELT in Autism, 29-11 (November 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-11 (November 2025) . - p.2703-2714 Titre : ‘Feeling constantly kicked down’: A qualitative phenomenological study exploring rejection sensitivity in autistic adults Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Alvin van ASSELT, Auteur ; Yvette ROKE, Auteur ; Sander BEGEER, Auteur ; Anke M. SCHEEREN, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2703-2714 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  criticism  rejection  rejection sensitivity  rejection sensitivity dysphoria Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic individuals are at greater risk of social rejection than non-autistic peers. On social media, adults with autism report an extreme sensitivity to social rejection. This qualitative study explored lived experiences of heightened rejection sensitivity in this population. Purposive sampling through social media was used to recruit 19 autistic adults aged 21–71 (11 women, 8 men) who self-reported heightened rejection sensitivity. Face-to-face or online semi-structured interviews were held. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was utilized to analyse the data, and synthesized member checking was conducted to ensure data accuracy. Participants described their rejection sensitivity as profoundly overwhelming, exhausting emotions and thoughts when anticipating or perceiving rejection and criticism. These responses could be accompanied by physical tension, pain and reliving past rejections. Its intensity varied greatly depending on contextual factors (e.g. baseline mood and topic of rejection) and was frequently invalidated. Identified predisposing factors included inherent autistic traits and lifelong rejection experiences. Many strategies were employed to alleviate these challenges, including therapy, with varying success. The participants’ lived experiences show that heightened rejection sensitivity can be a debilitating yet overlooked experience in autistic adults. Further quantitative research is needed to study its prevalence, predisposing factors, impact and potential interventions.Lay abstract Understanding rejection sensitivity in autistic adults: An interview study to gather insights from lived experiencesWhy was this study done?Autistic individuals are more likely to face rejection and criticism than non-autistic individuals. How stressful these events are can depend on their rejection sensitivity. People with higher rejection sensitivity are more anxious about being rejected, are quicker to think that they are being rejected and have stronger reactions when rejection happens. Some autistic adults on social media describe their rejection sensitivity as extreme. This study aimed to better understand how these adults with autism experience their rejection sensitivity and how it affects their daily lives.What did the researchers do?We interviewed 19 adults with autism, aged 21 to 71, who experience high rejection sensitivity. These interviews were done either face-to-face or online. After analysing the interviews, we shared the findings with participants to check if they matched their experiences.What did the researchers find?Participants described their rejection sensitivity as overwhelming and exhausting. When they felt rejected or criticized, or feared this would happen in the future, they experienced strong emotional and physical reactions, such as overthinking, tension and pain. They could also re-experience memories of past rejection or criticism during these moments. The intensity of these responses varied depending on the situation and was often dismissed by others, including healthcare professionals. Participants felt that their rejection sensitivity came from a combination of their autistic traits and lifelong experiences of being rejected. Some tried therapy or other ways to cope with their rejection sensitivity, with mixed success.What do the findings mean?This study shows that high rejection sensitivity can be a serious and often overlooked challenge for autistic adults. More research is needed to understand it better and support them with this experience. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251376893 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=570 [article] â€˜Feeling constantly kicked down’: A qualitative phenomenological study exploring rejection sensitivity in autistic adults [texte imprimé] / Alvin van ASSELT, Auteur ; Yvette ROKE, Auteur ; Sander BEGEER, Auteur ; Anke M. SCHEEREN, Auteur . - p.2703-2714. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-11 (November 2025) . - p.2703-2714 Mots-clés : autism  criticism  rejection  rejection sensitivity  rejection sensitivity dysphoria Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic individuals are at greater risk of social rejection than non-autistic peers. On social media, adults with autism report an extreme sensitivity to social rejection. This qualitative study explored lived experiences of heightened rejection sensitivity in this population. Purposive sampling through social media was used to recruit 19 autistic adults aged 21–71 (11 women, 8 men) who self-reported heightened rejection sensitivity. Face-to-face or online semi-structured interviews were held. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was utilized to analyse the data, and synthesized member checking was conducted to ensure data accuracy. Participants described their rejection sensitivity as profoundly overwhelming, exhausting emotions and thoughts when anticipating or perceiving rejection and criticism. These responses could be accompanied by physical tension, pain and reliving past rejections. Its intensity varied greatly depending on contextual factors (e.g. baseline mood and topic of rejection) and was frequently invalidated. Identified predisposing factors included inherent autistic traits and lifelong rejection experiences. Many strategies were employed to alleviate these challenges, including therapy, with varying success. The participants’ lived experiences show that heightened rejection sensitivity can be a debilitating yet overlooked experience in autistic adults. Further quantitative research is needed to study its prevalence, predisposing factors, impact and potential interventions.Lay abstract Understanding rejection sensitivity in autistic adults: An interview study to gather insights from lived experiencesWhy was this study done?Autistic individuals are more likely to face rejection and criticism than non-autistic individuals. How stressful these events are can depend on their rejection sensitivity. People with higher rejection sensitivity are more anxious about being rejected, are quicker to think that they are being rejected and have stronger reactions when rejection happens. Some autistic adults on social media describe their rejection sensitivity as extreme. This study aimed to better understand how these adults with autism experience their rejection sensitivity and how it affects their daily lives.What did the researchers do?We interviewed 19 adults with autism, aged 21 to 71, who experience high rejection sensitivity. These interviews were done either face-to-face or online. After analysing the interviews, we shared the findings with participants to check if they matched their experiences.What did the researchers find?Participants described their rejection sensitivity as overwhelming and exhausting. When they felt rejected or criticized, or feared this would happen in the future, they experienced strong emotional and physical reactions, such as overthinking, tension and pain. They could also re-experience memories of past rejection or criticism during these moments. The intensity of these responses varied depending on the situation and was often dismissed by others, including healthcare professionals. Participants felt that their rejection sensitivity came from a combination of their autistic traits and lifelong experiences of being rejected. Some tried therapy or other ways to cope with their rejection sensitivity, with mixed success.What do the findings mean?This study shows that high rejection sensitivity can be a serious and often overlooked challenge for autistic adults. More research is needed to understand it better and support them with this experience. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251376893 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=570

Masking, social context and perceived stress in autistic adults: An ecological momentary assessment study / Anke M. SCHEEREN in Autism, 29-12 (December 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-12 (December 2025) . - p.3002-3013 Titre : Masking, social context and perceived stress in autistic adults: An ecological momentary assessment study Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Anke M. SCHEEREN, Auteur ; Smiddy NIEUWENHUIS, Auteur ; Laura CRANE, Auteur ; Yvette ROKE, Auteur ; Sander BEGEER, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.3002-3013 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : adults  autism  camouflaging  masking  stress Résumé : Masking may entail the suppression of autistic traits by autistic individuals. Thus far, research indicates a negative impact of autistic masking on mental health, but this is largely based on retrospective surveys. In this study, we used ecological momentary assessment to examine real-time associations between social context (i.e. presence of (non-)autistic others), masking, and perceived stress in everyday life among a sample of autistic adults. Ecological momentary assessment data were collected via a smartphone application for 87 autistic individuals (58 females; M age = 48; age range: 17-68). In line with the hypotheses, repeated measures analyses of variance and linear mixed models indicated that (1) participants reported masking significantly less when they were alone compared with when others were present, (2) participants masked significantly more when non-autistic others were present compared with autistic others, and (3) more masking was associated with a concurrent higher level of perceived stress. Autistic adults reported they could be more themselves among autistic peers and reduced masking was associated with reduced stress. These ecological momentary assessment study findings provide ecological validity to the potential stressful impact of masking in the daily lives of autistic adults.Lay abstract Autistic people may try to hide their autistic traits in order to fit in. This is called autistic masking. Survey research suggests that autistic masking may have a negative effect on the mental well-being of autistic people. Yet, survey research has limitations, because people may not remember or may not accurately report how much they masked and how they felt in the past. Therefore, in this study, we asked autistic adults to use a smartphone app to report with whom they were (with or without autistic people), if they could be themselves (degree of masking), and how stressed they felt during the past 4 h. Participants reported this information multiple times over a period of 28 days. In total, 87 autistic adults participated (58 females; age range: 17-68). In line with our expectations, (1) participants masked less when they were alone compared with when others were present, (2) participants masked more when non-autistic others were present compared with autistic others, and (3) more masking was linked with the experience of more stress in the same moment. Autistic adults reported they could be more themselves among other autistic individuals. Also, less masking was associated with less stress. Our study shows the everyday reality of stress during masking experienced by autistic adults. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251353358 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=572 [article] Masking, social context and perceived stress in autistic adults: An ecological momentary assessment study [texte imprimé] / Anke M. SCHEEREN, Auteur ; Smiddy NIEUWENHUIS, Auteur ; Laura CRANE, Auteur ; Yvette ROKE, Auteur ; Sander BEGEER, Auteur . - p.3002-3013. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-12 (December 2025) . - p.3002-3013 Mots-clés : adults  autism  camouflaging  masking  stress Résumé : Masking may entail the suppression of autistic traits by autistic individuals. Thus far, research indicates a negative impact of autistic masking on mental health, but this is largely based on retrospective surveys. In this study, we used ecological momentary assessment to examine real-time associations between social context (i.e. presence of (non-)autistic others), masking, and perceived stress in everyday life among a sample of autistic adults. Ecological momentary assessment data were collected via a smartphone application for 87 autistic individuals (58 females; M age = 48; age range: 17-68). In line with the hypotheses, repeated measures analyses of variance and linear mixed models indicated that (1) participants reported masking significantly less when they were alone compared with when others were present, (2) participants masked significantly more when non-autistic others were present compared with autistic others, and (3) more masking was associated with a concurrent higher level of perceived stress. Autistic adults reported they could be more themselves among autistic peers and reduced masking was associated with reduced stress. These ecological momentary assessment study findings provide ecological validity to the potential stressful impact of masking in the daily lives of autistic adults.Lay abstract Autistic people may try to hide their autistic traits in order to fit in. This is called autistic masking. Survey research suggests that autistic masking may have a negative effect on the mental well-being of autistic people. Yet, survey research has limitations, because people may not remember or may not accurately report how much they masked and how they felt in the past. Therefore, in this study, we asked autistic adults to use a smartphone app to report with whom they were (with or without autistic people), if they could be themselves (degree of masking), and how stressed they felt during the past 4 h. Participants reported this information multiple times over a period of 28 days. In total, 87 autistic adults participated (58 females; age range: 17-68). In line with our expectations, (1) participants masked less when they were alone compared with when others were present, (2) participants masked more when non-autistic others were present compared with autistic others, and (3) more masking was linked with the experience of more stress in the same moment. Autistic adults reported they could be more themselves among other autistic individuals. Also, less masking was associated with less stress. Our study shows the everyday reality of stress during masking experienced by autistic adults. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251353358 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=572

A randomized controlled trial into the effectiveness of a mobile health application (SAM) to reduce stress and improve well-being in autistic adults / Yvette ROKE ; Sander BEGEER ; Annemieke van STRATEN ; Heleen RIPER ; Kirstin GREAVES-LORD ; Anke M. SCHEEREN in Autism, 29-10 (October 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-10 (October 2025) . - p.2588-2603 Titre : A randomized controlled trial into the effectiveness of a mobile health application (SAM) to reduce stress and improve well-being in autistic adults Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Yvette ROKE, Auteur ; Sander BEGEER, Auteur ; Annemieke van STRATEN, Auteur ; Heleen RIPER, Auteur ; Kirstin GREAVES-LORD, Auteur ; Anke M. SCHEEREN, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2588-2603 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : adults  application  autism  mental well-being  mHealth  perceived stress Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic adults experience more daily stress compared to non-autistic adults. However, stress recognition is often delayed, potentially leading to chronic stress and significant (mental) health risks. We evaluated the effectiveness of Stress Autism Mate (SAM), a stress-monitoring mobile health application co-created with autistic individuals. We ran a two-arm, parallel, superiority randomized controlled trial. Autistic adults (n = 214) (mean age: 50.5 years; 66.4% female) were randomized to 1-month SAM usage or waitlist control. Participants self-reported on primary (Perceived Stress Scale; Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), and secondary outcomes (Coping Self-Efficacy Scale) at baseline and 4 weeks later, after which the control group could start using the app. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the intervention group had significantly lower perceived stress (d = 0.27), greater mental well-being (d = 0.35), and improved coping self-efficacy (d = 0.16) compared to the control group after 1 month. No intervention effect moderators could be identified. More frequent app usage was significantly associated with a stronger decrease in perceived stress (r = 0.293). However, 42.9% of app users indicated increased stress from app use, warranting further investigation. Our results suggest that SAM may be effective in reducing perceived stress and improving mental well-being for some autistic individuals. Further refinement and investigation are recommended.Lay abstract Autistic adults often experience more daily stress than non-autistic individuals, but they may not always recognize this stress timely, which can lead to long-term health problems. To help address this, we tested an app called Stress Autism Mate (SAM), which was designed together with autistic individuals to help autistic adults monitor and manage their stress. In our study, 214 autistic adults (average age: 50.5 years; 66.4% female) were randomly assigned to either use the app for 1 month or wait before using it. We asked participants to complete surveys before and after the 1-month period to measure changes in their stress levels, mental well-being, and confidence in coping. Results showed that participants who used the app reported lower stress, improved mental well-being, and better coping skills compared to those who did not use the app. We also found that the more often someone used the app, the more their stress levels decreased. However, 42.9% of users felt more stressed using the app, which needs further study. Overall, our findings suggest that SAM can help reduce stress and improve well-being for some autistic adults, but more work is needed to improve the app and better understand its effects.Trial registry ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN17394910. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251346885 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=567 [article] A randomized controlled trial into the effectiveness of a mobile health application (SAM) to reduce stress and improve well-being in autistic adults [texte imprimé] / Yvette ROKE, Auteur ; Sander BEGEER, Auteur ; Annemieke van STRATEN, Auteur ; Heleen RIPER, Auteur ; Kirstin GREAVES-LORD, Auteur ; Anke M. SCHEEREN, Auteur . - p.2588-2603. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-10 (October 2025) . - p.2588-2603 Mots-clés : adults  application  autism  mental well-being  mHealth  perceived stress Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic adults experience more daily stress compared to non-autistic adults. However, stress recognition is often delayed, potentially leading to chronic stress and significant (mental) health risks. We evaluated the effectiveness of Stress Autism Mate (SAM), a stress-monitoring mobile health application co-created with autistic individuals. We ran a two-arm, parallel, superiority randomized controlled trial. Autistic adults (n = 214) (mean age: 50.5 years; 66.4% female) were randomized to 1-month SAM usage or waitlist control. Participants self-reported on primary (Perceived Stress Scale; Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale), and secondary outcomes (Coping Self-Efficacy Scale) at baseline and 4 weeks later, after which the control group could start using the app. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that the intervention group had significantly lower perceived stress (d = 0.27), greater mental well-being (d = 0.35), and improved coping self-efficacy (d = 0.16) compared to the control group after 1 month. No intervention effect moderators could be identified. More frequent app usage was significantly associated with a stronger decrease in perceived stress (r = 0.293). However, 42.9% of app users indicated increased stress from app use, warranting further investigation. Our results suggest that SAM may be effective in reducing perceived stress and improving mental well-being for some autistic individuals. Further refinement and investigation are recommended.Lay abstract Autistic adults often experience more daily stress than non-autistic individuals, but they may not always recognize this stress timely, which can lead to long-term health problems. To help address this, we tested an app called Stress Autism Mate (SAM), which was designed together with autistic individuals to help autistic adults monitor and manage their stress. In our study, 214 autistic adults (average age: 50.5 years; 66.4% female) were randomly assigned to either use the app for 1 month or wait before using it. We asked participants to complete surveys before and after the 1-month period to measure changes in their stress levels, mental well-being, and confidence in coping. Results showed that participants who used the app reported lower stress, improved mental well-being, and better coping skills compared to those who did not use the app. We also found that the more often someone used the app, the more their stress levels decreased. However, 42.9% of users felt more stressed using the app, which needs further study. Overall, our findings suggest that SAM can help reduce stress and improve well-being for some autistic adults, but more work is needed to improve the app and better understand its effects.Trial registry ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN17394910. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613251346885 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=567

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