The impact of early stages of COVID-19 on the mental health of autistic adults in the United Kingdom: A longitudinal mixed-methods study

Rebecca Bundy*, Will Mandy, Laura Crane, Hannah Belcher, Laura Bourne, Janina Brede, Laura Hull, Jana Brinkert, Julia Cook

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

We used mixed methods to learn about the nature and drivers of mental health changes among autistic adults in the United Kingdom during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. In quantitative analyses, we examined the nature and predictors of change in depression, anxiety and stress, prospectively measured in 70 autistic adults at Wave 1 (just before the United Kingdom’s first lockdown) and Wave 2 (10–15 weeks into the United Kingdom’s first lockdown). Retrospective Wave 2 reports of mental health change were also analysed for these 70 participants. For the qualitative analysis, 133 participants (including the 70 from the quantitative analyses) provided reports on their experiences of the pandemic at Wave 2. In quantitative analyses, retrospective reports indicated that participants’ mental health worsened, but prospective data showed a different picture, with overall anxiety and stress scores reducing between Waves 1 and 2. Nevertheless, the mental health impact of the pandemic on autistic adults was variable, with a sizable minority reporting a significant decline in mental health. Qualitative analysis yielded four themes that contributed to mental health changes: (a) adjusting to changes to the social world, (b) living with uncertainty, (c) disruptions to self-regulation, and (d) barriers to fulfilling basic needs.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1765 –1782
Number of pages18
JournalAutism
Volume26
Issue number7
Early online date27 Jan 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2022

Keywords

  • adults
  • anxiety
  • autism spectrum disorders
  • COVID-19
  • depression
  • health services
  • mental health
  • qualitative research

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