Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, St Helens Rd, Liverpool, Ormskirk, L39 4QP, Lancashire, UK.
Università Iuav di Venezia, 30135, Venice, VE, Italy.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Aug;52(8):3639-3654. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05235-x. Epub 2021 Sep 4.
A significant proportion of autistic adults today were not diagnosed until later in life, a group referred to as the 'lost generation,' which may affect mental health. In Study 1 we explored quality of life and autistic trait levels in 420 autistic and TD adults, and in Study 2 we explored the experiences of 8 autistic adults diagnosed as adults. We found that autistic adults had lower quality of life outcomes and higher autistic trait levels which related to age of diagnosis, and qualitative findings indicated that while adults were empowered by their new diagnosis, they still require specialized supports. Our findings are discussed, emphasizing future directions and implications for the current care system in place for autistic adults.
如今，相当一部分成年自闭症患者直到晚年才被确诊，这一群体被称为“迷失的一代”，他们的心理健康可能会受到影响。在研究 1 中，我们调查了 420 名自闭症和 TD 成年人的生活质量和自闭症特征水平，在研究 2 中，我们调查了 8 名成年后被诊断为自闭症的成年人的经历。我们发现，自闭症成年人的生活质量结果较低，自闭症特征水平较高，这与诊断年龄有关，定性研究结果表明，虽然成年人对自己的新诊断感到有力量，但他们仍然需要专门的支持。我们讨论了这些发现，强调了未来的方向和对当前为成年自闭症患者提供的护理系统的影响。
