Despite very high rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) in autistic adults, the key psychosocial drivers of this phenomenon remain unknown. To investigate, we examined how lifetime stressor exposure and severity, which have been found to predict STB in non-autistic populations, related to STB in a multinational dataset of 226 autistic…

Parents, particularly mothers, of autistic children may be especially vulnerable to the negative effects of COVID-19. The current longitudinal study examined changes in psychological distress (anxiety, depression, stress) and marital functioning of mothers and fathers of autistic children across three time points between April and October 2020,…

Finding new ways of supporting the well-being of autistic adults is an essential goal for research and practice. We tested the predictive value of attitudes towards autism (as neurodiversity or as a disorder) and identification with other autistic people, on the psychological distress and self-esteem of autistic adults (n = 109). Adopting a…

This study explores how parenting couples use their relationship to support each other after their child's autism diagnosis by assessing the role of dyadic coping and parenting sense of competence as predictors of their coparenting quality. Mothers and fathers raising a child on the spectrum (N = 70 couples) individually completed self-report…

Autistic individuals experience higher rates of psychiatric comorbidities than their peers. Camouflaging, the process through which individuals hide autistic traits, can be detrimental to mental health. This may be particularly true for autistic females, although research on sex differences in the relationship between camouflaging and mental…

Extensive research has shown elevated mental health difficulties among parents of children with autism compared to other parents. Although several studies have explored factors related to mental health among parents of children with autism, the factors that influence and promote well-being remain poorly characterised. Parents of young, newly…

The transition to adulthood and adulthood itself have been identified as times of stress for parents of individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Longitudinal studies, however, show improvements in the well-being of mothers of adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. This article presents a cross-sectional study of 102 Spanish…

One hundred twenty mothers of children with autism, with mental retardation, or typically developing were assessed for effects of social support and hardiness on level of stress. Results indicated significant group differences in ratings of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints and burnout. Both hardiness and social support were predictive of…