Quality of life (QOL) and life satisfaction are important research priorities for autistic adults. As such, we saw a need to evaluate individual items of commonly used subjective QOL scales to understand how they are interpreted and perceived by autistic adults. This study used cognitive interviews and repeated sampling to evaluate the…

Autistic adults report high stress and impaired ability to cope with stressors. Mindfulness-based stress reduction targets individual's own resources to regulate stress responses. An open feasibility study was conducted in an outpatient context, recruiting autistic adults without intellectual disability. The intervention, guided by trained…

Parenting stress experienced by parents of autistic children is well-documented. Recent evidence suggests that self-compassion may be a protective factor against parenting stress. However, it's not clear how self-compassion contributes to better parenting outcomes. This study examined the associations among self-compassion, mental health…

Parents of children with autism experience significant stress and challenges in daily life that can impact their well-being. Using a daily diary method, the present study examined the same-day and next-day associations between child-related stress, social support, coping, and parental well-being outcomes (i.e. life satisfaction, positive and…

Background: Raising a child with developmental disorder is often related to higher stress levels for both mothers and fathers. The aim of the present study was to investigate relationships between resilience, family hardiness, life satisfaction and parental stress among parents of children with and without disabilities. Method: Twenty-eight pairs…

Autistic people may be at higher risk of perinatal mental health conditions, given that autism and mental health conditions commonly co-occur and that autistic people face additional stressors such as barriers to appropriate maternity care. This study explored self-reported stress, depression, anxiety and satisfaction with life during the third…

Autistic adults are at risk of stress-related psychiatric disorders and reduced life quality due to social, cognitive, and perceptual challenges. Mental health interventions adapted to autistic adults are scarce. Acceptance and commitment therapy has preliminarily indicated health benefits in autistic adults, although it has not been robustly…