Implications of Employment Changes Caused by COVID-19 on Mental Health and Work-Related Psychological Need Satisfaction of Autistic Employees: A Mixed-Methods Longitudinal Study.
Yael Goldfarb, Eynat Gal, Ofer Golan
PMID 33635422WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic employees who kept working in person showed no rise in distress.
Those forced to work from home reported higher emotional distress and lower feelings of competence and autonomy, despite valuing sensory control. Losing employment significantly increased distress.
Key findings
01Participants who physically attended work showed no significant change in emotional distress, job satisfaction, or psychological need satisfaction from pre-pandemic to during-pandemic measures.
02Participants working from home showed a marginally significant increase in emotional distress and a significant decline in satisfaction of the psychological needs for competence and autonomy.
03Qualitative interviews highlighted that remote work allowed control over sensory environments but blurred work-home boundaries and limited access to workplace facilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The sample size was very small (n=23 at follow-up), limiting statistical power and generalizability. The sample was unrepresentative, with a high proportion of participants working in the computer and information technology sector, which is more conducive to remote work. Participants had relatively stable employment prior to the pandemic, which may not reflect the experiences of autistic adults with less secure jobs. The study lacked a comparison group of typically developing employees. Attrition occurred between timepoints, though no significant differences were found between those who dropped out and those who remained.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Organization for Autism Research and the National Insurance Institute of Israel. No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the finding that in-person work was protective as a recommendation for all autistic employees to return to the office. The sample was heavily skewed toward technology roles and those with pre-existing stable jobs, and individual sensory and social needs vary widely.