Autistic women's experiences of self-compassion after receiving their diagnosis in adulthood.
Rosemarie B Wilson, Andrew R Thompson, Georgina Rowse and 3 others
PMID 36373832WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic women described adult diagnosis as a turning point from self-criticism to self-kindness.
It provided permission to stop masking, set boundaries, and understand past struggles. However, they also reported grief for lost time and fear that self-compassion looks like weakness.
Key findings
01Participants reported that receiving an autism diagnosis in adulthood facilitated greater self-understanding and self-compassion, transforming previous feelings of failure and blame into a less critical view of themselves.
02The diagnosis provided 'permission' to assert needs and set boundaries for self-care, such as requiring downtime after social interactions, though some struggled with the balance between kindness and perceived self-indulgence.
03Experiences of societal misunderstanding, pressure to conform, and social challenges were identified as significant barriers to self-compassion, often leading to internalised self-criticism and mental health difficulties.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample was small (11 participants) and homogeneous, with all participants identifying as White, limiting generalisability to autistic women from other ethnic backgrounds. Socio-economic status was not collected, so its influence on diagnosis and self-compassion could not be explored. The study relies on self-reported experiences of self-compassion post-diagnosis, without a control group or longitudinal data to confirm causal changes over time. Participants were recruited from diagnostic services and research centres, which may bias the sample towards those already seeking support or research opportunities.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust as part of a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy) training.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this as evidence that diagnosis automatically improves mental health or self-compassion. The study describes individual experiences of relief and understanding, but also highlights grief, ongoing adjustment, and the risk of self-compassion being perceived as weakness. It does not measure clinical outcomes or prove that diagnosis causes these changes.