Strategies used by autistic adults to improve wellbeing: An exploratory mixed methods study in the UK

Neville, Florence

Abstract

The wellbeing of autistic adults has been largely ignored in the literature, but recently, neurodiversity-informed researchers have begun to ask autistic adults to define their experiences, needs, and self-managed strategies to improve and maintain their own mental health and wellbeing. Autistic adults report needing to spend time alone to recover from stressful experiences and poor mental health. This pragmatic PhD study, undertaken by an autistic researcher, sought (1) to find out how and where autistic adults in the UK might choose to spend this time, and (2) explore how this time benefits wellbeing. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods approach was used, and the research was supported by a community advisory group.

The qualitative analysis of interview data from autistic adults found that social environments can be highly overwhelming; alone-time may be used to retreat and recover from overwhelm, or ‘recharge batteries’ before re-joining the social world. Retreating requires feeling protected from the social and sensory world, while recharging tends to involve immersive or flow-state activities to feel self-regulated. Following alone-time, reconnecting with the social world may be desirable, but strategies may be needed to avoid future overwhelm. The statistical analysis of a two-part quantitative questionnaire survey for autistic adults described a wide variety of preferred alone-time environments and activities, but did not find clear statistical evidence of an association between the amount of alone-time wanted and/or spent and wellbeing. Recommendations for further research, policy and practice were generated by the community advisory group in response to the integrated qualitative and quantitative findings.

This is the first study that has sought to understand how self-managed time and space alone might benefit autistic wellbeing. The findings have implications for institutional structures such as healthcare, education and supported living, while challenging stigmatising misconceptions about autistic people’s perceived anti-socialness.

Citation

Neville, F. Strategies used by autistic adults to improve wellbeing: An exploratory mixed methods study in the UK. (Thesis). University of the West of England. Retrieved from https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11129780

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Sep 21, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 21, 2024
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11129780
• Award Date: Mar 21, 2024