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“I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults

Lisa Quadt Orcid Logo, Gemma Williams Orcid Logo, James Mulcahy, Dennis E. O. Larsson, Marta Silva, Andrew J. Arnold, Hugo D. Critchley, Sarah N. Garfinkel

Autism in Adulthood

Swansea University Author: Gemma Williams Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): doi.org/10.1089/aut.2022.0062

Abstract

Background: Rates of loneliness are substantially higher among autistic compared with nonautistic individuals. This observation refutes the persistent stereotype that autistic individuals are not motivated to seek meaningful social relationships. More plausibly, social environments systematically ex...

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Published in: Autism in Adulthood
ISSN: 2573-9581 2573-959X
Published: Mary Ann Liebert 2023
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa64903
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This observation refutes the persistent stereotype that autistic individuals are not motivated to seek meaningful social relationships. More plausibly, social environments systematically exclude people with higher levels of sensory differences, impeding on opportunities for autistic individuals to form meaningful relationships. In this study, we sought to quantify the level of distress associated with loneliness (Study A) and provide complementary qualitative insight into experiences of loneliness in relationship to sensory differences in autistic adults (Study B). Methods: In Study A, N = 209 participants completed a range of self-report questionnaires. In Study B, nine autistic adults took part in 10-minute unstructured dyadic conversations around the topic of loneliness. We derived a qualitative understanding of autistic individuals' experience of loneliness, enriched by inductive and deductive analyses. Results: In Study A, the autistic group showed significantly higher levels of loneliness, loneliness distress, anxiety, depression, and sensory reactivity. We found significant positive correlations between variables, but no group differences in differential relationships. The effect of sensory reactivity on anxiety and depression was mediated by levels of loneliness in both groups. In Study B, autistic participants described the pain of feeling lonely and socially disconnected, while simultaneously experiencing a need for restorative solitude after social overstimulation. Discussion: Our results indicate that sensory differences are related with higher loneliness and associated poor mental health in both autistic and nonautistic adults. This effect was exacerbated in autistic adults due to higher levels of sensory reactivity. First-hand reports from autistic adults on intense loneliness and the obstructive role of sensory environments refute stereotypes about a lack of social motivation in autistic adults. We conclude that to enable meaningful and inclusive social interaction, a societal effort is needed to create spaces that consider the sensory needs of all neurotypes.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Autism in Adulthood</journal><volume/><journalNumber/><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher>Mary Ann Liebert</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>2573-9581</issnPrint><issnElectronic>2573-959X</issnElectronic><keywords>Autism, loneliness, sensory processing, mental health</keywords><publishedDay>2</publishedDay><publishedMonth>11</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2023</publishedYear><publishedDate>2023-11-02</publishedDate><doi>doi.org/10.1089/aut.2022.0062</doi><url>https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2022.0062</url><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>Public Health</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><DepartmentCode>PHAC</DepartmentCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Another institution paid the OA fee</apcterm><funders>Study A was part of a clinical trial funded by the charity MQ: Transforming Mental Health (MQ16PI100016). Study B was funded as part of a University of Brighton School of Humanities PhD Studentship.</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2023-12-04T14:19:07.3983104</lastEdited><Created>2023-11-02T11:21:38.0700299</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Health and Social Care - Public Health</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Lisa</firstname><surname>Quadt</surname><orcid>0000-0002-5896-916X</orcid><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Gemma</firstname><surname>Williams</surname><orcid>0000-0002-5162-0440</orcid><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>James</firstname><surname>Mulcahy</surname><order>3</order></author><author><firstname>Dennis E. O.</firstname><surname>Larsson</surname><order>4</order></author><author><firstname>Marta</firstname><surname>Silva</surname><order>5</order></author><author><firstname>Andrew J.</firstname><surname>Arnold</surname><order>6</order></author><author><firstname>Hugo D.</firstname><surname>Critchley</surname><order>7</order></author><author><firstname>Sarah N.</firstname><surname>Garfinkel</surname><order>8</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>64903__29195__4d72e02883db4107b79f2da6e8a2bf84.pdf</filename><originalFilename>64903.VOR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2023-12-04T14:10:57.2769332</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>464426</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>© Lisa Quadt et al., 2023; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 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spelling v2 64903 2023-11-02 “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults c457f01f621c5274656e591f782f52a8 0000-0002-5162-0440 Gemma Williams Gemma Williams true false 2023-11-02 PHAC Background: Rates of loneliness are substantially higher among autistic compared with nonautistic individuals. This observation refutes the persistent stereotype that autistic individuals are not motivated to seek meaningful social relationships. More plausibly, social environments systematically exclude people with higher levels of sensory differences, impeding on opportunities for autistic individuals to form meaningful relationships. In this study, we sought to quantify the level of distress associated with loneliness (Study A) and provide complementary qualitative insight into experiences of loneliness in relationship to sensory differences in autistic adults (Study B). Methods: In Study A, N = 209 participants completed a range of self-report questionnaires. In Study B, nine autistic adults took part in 10-minute unstructured dyadic conversations around the topic of loneliness. We derived a qualitative understanding of autistic individuals' experience of loneliness, enriched by inductive and deductive analyses. Results: In Study A, the autistic group showed significantly higher levels of loneliness, loneliness distress, anxiety, depression, and sensory reactivity. We found significant positive correlations between variables, but no group differences in differential relationships. The effect of sensory reactivity on anxiety and depression was mediated by levels of loneliness in both groups. In Study B, autistic participants described the pain of feeling lonely and socially disconnected, while simultaneously experiencing a need for restorative solitude after social overstimulation. Discussion: Our results indicate that sensory differences are related with higher loneliness and associated poor mental health in both autistic and nonautistic adults. This effect was exacerbated in autistic adults due to higher levels of sensory reactivity. First-hand reports from autistic adults on intense loneliness and the obstructive role of sensory environments refute stereotypes about a lack of social motivation in autistic adults. We conclude that to enable meaningful and inclusive social interaction, a societal effort is needed to create spaces that consider the sensory needs of all neurotypes. Journal Article Autism in Adulthood Mary Ann Liebert 2573-9581 2573-959X Autism, loneliness, sensory processing, mental health 2 11 2023 2023-11-02 doi.org/10.1089/aut.2022.0062 https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2022.0062 COLLEGE NANME Public Health COLLEGE CODE PHAC Swansea University Another institution paid the OA fee Study A was part of a clinical trial funded by the charity MQ: Transforming Mental Health (MQ16PI100016). Study B was funded as part of a University of Brighton School of Humanities PhD Studentship. 2023-12-04T14:19:07.3983104 2023-11-02T11:21:38.0700299 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Health and Social Care - Public Health Lisa Quadt 0000-0002-5896-916X 1 Gemma Williams 0000-0002-5162-0440 2 James Mulcahy 3 Dennis E. O. Larsson 4 Marta Silva 5 Andrew J. Arnold 6 Hugo D. Critchley 7 Sarah N. Garfinkel 8 64903__29195__4d72e02883db4107b79f2da6e8a2bf84.pdf 64903.VOR.pdf 2023-12-04T14:10:57.2769332 Output 464426 application/pdf Version of Record true © Lisa Quadt et al., 2023; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Distributed under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults
spellingShingle “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults
Gemma Williams
title_short “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults
title_full “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults
title_fullStr “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults
title_full_unstemmed “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults
title_sort “I'm Trying to Reach Out, I'm Trying to Find My People”: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of the Link Between Sensory Differences, Loneliness, and Mental Health in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults
author_id_str_mv c457f01f621c5274656e591f782f52a8
author_id_fullname_str_mv c457f01f621c5274656e591f782f52a8_***_Gemma Williams
author Gemma Williams
author2 Lisa Quadt
Gemma Williams
James Mulcahy
Dennis E. O. Larsson
Marta Silva
Andrew J. Arnold
Hugo D. Critchley
Sarah N. Garfinkel
format Journal article
container_title Autism in Adulthood
publishDate 2023
institution Swansea University
issn 2573-9581
2573-959X
doi_str_mv doi.org/10.1089/aut.2022.0062
publisher Mary Ann Liebert
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Health and Social Care - Public Health{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Health and Social Care - Public Health
url https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/aut.2022.0062
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description Background: Rates of loneliness are substantially higher among autistic compared with nonautistic individuals. This observation refutes the persistent stereotype that autistic individuals are not motivated to seek meaningful social relationships. More plausibly, social environments systematically exclude people with higher levels of sensory differences, impeding on opportunities for autistic individuals to form meaningful relationships. In this study, we sought to quantify the level of distress associated with loneliness (Study A) and provide complementary qualitative insight into experiences of loneliness in relationship to sensory differences in autistic adults (Study B). Methods: In Study A, N = 209 participants completed a range of self-report questionnaires. In Study B, nine autistic adults took part in 10-minute unstructured dyadic conversations around the topic of loneliness. We derived a qualitative understanding of autistic individuals' experience of loneliness, enriched by inductive and deductive analyses. Results: In Study A, the autistic group showed significantly higher levels of loneliness, loneliness distress, anxiety, depression, and sensory reactivity. We found significant positive correlations between variables, but no group differences in differential relationships. The effect of sensory reactivity on anxiety and depression was mediated by levels of loneliness in both groups. In Study B, autistic participants described the pain of feeling lonely and socially disconnected, while simultaneously experiencing a need for restorative solitude after social overstimulation. Discussion: Our results indicate that sensory differences are related with higher loneliness and associated poor mental health in both autistic and nonautistic adults. This effect was exacerbated in autistic adults due to higher levels of sensory reactivity. First-hand reports from autistic adults on intense loneliness and the obstructive role of sensory environments refute stereotypes about a lack of social motivation in autistic adults. We conclude that to enable meaningful and inclusive social interaction, a societal effort is needed to create spaces that consider the sensory needs of all neurotypes.
published_date 2023-11-02T14:19:08Z
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score 11.012678

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