Understanding the Reasons, Contexts and Costs of Camouflaging for Autistic Adults.
Eilidh Cage, Zoe Troxell-Whitman
PMID 30627892WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adults who camouflaged in both formal and personal settings, or who switched between settings, reported more stress than those who camouflaged little.
Those who camouflaged highly in both settings also reported more anxiety than those who camouflaged little. No depression difference was found.
Key findings
01Those who camouflaged little in both context types had significantly lower stress than those who camouflaged highly in one context type but little in the other, and than those who camouflaged highly in both.
02Those who camouflaged little in both context types had significantly lower anxiety than those who camouflaged highly in both context types.
03Female participants endorsed conventional reasons for camouflaging, such as work or education, more than male participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was a survey at one time point, so it can show links between camouflaging and symptoms but not which came first. The sample was mostly White and had received higher education, so it may not represent autistic adults from other ethnic backgrounds or with different educational experiences. The sample consisted of highly verbal individuals, so it may not represent autistic people with additional learning disabilities. Some camouflaging reason and context items had not been validated before, although two autistic individuals reviewed them.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that camouflaging causes stress or anxiety. This was a one-time survey, so it cannot show whether camouflaging led to higher symptoms or whether people with higher symptoms camouflaged more. It also cannot show that reducing camouflaging will improve mental health.