Lewis Laura Foran
College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
Int J Ment Health Nurs. 2016 Aug;25(4):346-54. doi: 10.1111/inm.12200. Epub 2016 Mar 4.
Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder are not diagnosed until adulthood, yet little is known about their experiences. This descriptive phenomenological study aimed to explore the experience of realizing a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in adulthood. A purposive sample of 77 adults was asked to describe their experiences of realizing a diagnosis as adults via an open-ended online survey. Data were analysed using Colaizzi's method and six themes were derived: feeling different from others, riding an emotional rollercoaster, striving to accept themselves, strategizing to improve their lives, maintaining normalcy, and wandering into the future. Nurses must realize the importance of screening for depression following a new diagnosis. Barriers to reaching a formal diagnosis should also be evaluated.
许多自闭症谱系障碍患者直到成年才被诊断出来，但人们对他们的经历却知之甚少。这项描述性现象学研究旨在探索成年后被诊断为自闭症谱系障碍的经历。通过一项开放式在线调查，选取了77名成年人作为有目的的样本，要求他们描述成年后被诊断出疾病的经历。采用科莱齐的方法对数据进行分析，得出了六个主题：感觉与他人不同、情绪像坐过山车、努力接受自己、制定策略改善生活、维持正常状态以及迷茫走向未来。护士必须认识到在新诊断后筛查抑郁症的重要性。还应评估获得正式诊断的障碍。
