Autistic Women's Experiences of Self Compassion and Receiving Their Diagnosis in Adulthood

University of Sheffield12 enrolled

Overview

Research highlights strong links between self-compassion and mental health, but there is very limited research specifically exploring autistic individual's experiences of self-compassion. The process of receiving a diagnosis on the autism spectrum can be complex and autistic women tend to experience several barriers to diagnosis. This study adds to the growing area of research exploring autistic women's experiences of receiving a diagnosis in adulthood. This study employs Interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore if receiving a diagnosis of Autism influences women's perceptions of self-compassion. The findings may inform client-centred practices in health care settings and potentially present positive aspects of autism diagnosis.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Autism

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 99 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Able to consent to participate * Cisgender female (female at birth and raised as female). * Speak English fluently * Received an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis, aged 18 years old or above Exclusion Criteria: * Lack capacity to consent to participate in the study * Unable to speak English fluently * Have not received an Autism diagnosis * Have received Autism diagnosis prior to their 18th birthday * Have an intellectual disability * Born male

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Experience of receiving ASD diagnosis in adulthood based on semi structured interviews

Participants' experience of receiving ASD diagnosis in adulthood based on semi structured interviews, completed in one interview.

Time frame: day one

Secondary Outcomes

Experience of self-compassion before and after receiving ASD diagnosis based on semi structured interviews

Participants' experiences of self-compassion before and after receiving ASD diagnosis based on semi structured interviews, completed in one interview.

Time frame: day one