California State University (CSU) Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA, USA.
California State University (CSU), Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Womens Health (Lond). 2023 Jan-Dec;19:17455057231170973. doi: 10.1177/17455057231170973.
This study examines the relationship between social engagement and loneliness in female and male autistic children and adolescents in school-based social settings. Secondary aims sought to explore the emergence of loneliness across different age groups and differences in social engagement and loneliness between genders.
This study conducted an analysis of previously collected data from two multi-site randomized control trials. This study included 58 autistic students (29 females, 29 males) between the ages 6 through 18 years. Female and male participants were matched on age and intelligence quotient. Concurrent mixed methods were used to examine participants' social engagement and loneliness.
Findings revealed a significant relationship between joint engagement and loneliness, such that autistic students reported more loneliness when they were mutually engaged with social groups than when they were isolated or alone. Positive correlations between joint engage and loneliness were identified in elementary-age girls and secondary-age boys, suggesting that being mutually engaged with peers leads to increased loneliness. Negative correlations between parallel and loneliness identified in secondary-age boys suggested that boys in close proximity to peers felt less lonely than boys who were mutually engaged with peers. Qualitative analysis of social behaviors indicated that elementary girls and secondary boys were more likely to be mutually engaged or in close proximity to activities, but they had difficulty sustaining this engagement throughout the entire social period. Secondary girls and elementary boys, on the other hand, were more likely to be solitary and less likely to engage with peer groups.
Study findings highlight the relationship between social engagement and loneliness in school-based autistic populations, and that more engagement itself can lead to more loneliness for younger girls and older boys. The influence of age and gender on engagement and loneliness highlights a need to tailor social interventions to leverage existing social strengths.
本研究考察了社交参与和孤独感在学校社交环境中女性和男性自闭症儿童和青少年中的关系。次要目的是探索孤独感在不同年龄组中的出现情况，以及性别之间社交参与和孤独感的差异。
本研究对两项多地点随机对照试验中先前收集的数据进行了分析。本研究包括 58 名自闭症学生（29 名女性，29 名男性），年龄在 6 至 18 岁之间。女性和男性参与者在年龄和智商方面进行匹配。同时采用混合方法来评估参与者的社交参与和孤独感。
研究结果显示，共同参与与孤独感之间存在显著关系，即自闭症学生在与社交群体共同参与时比孤立或独处时报告更多的孤独感。在小学年龄女孩和中学年龄男孩中，发现了共同参与和孤独感之间的正相关，表明与同伴共同参与会导致孤独感增加。在中学年龄男孩中，平行参与和孤独感之间的负相关表明，与同伴近距离接触的男孩比与同伴共同参与的男孩感到孤独感更少。对社交行为的定性分析表明，小学女孩和中学男孩更有可能共同参与或接近活动，但他们很难在整个社交期间保持这种参与。另一方面，中学女孩和小学男孩更可能是孤独的，不太可能参与同伴群体。
研究结果强调了学校自闭症人群中社交参与和孤独感之间的关系，对于年龄较小的女孩和年龄较大的男孩来说，更多的参与本身可能会导致更多的孤独感。年龄和性别对参与和孤独感的影响突出表明，需要根据社交干预措施来利用现有的社交优势。
