Hoeberichts Kirsten, Roke Yvette, Damen Frank, Niks Irene, Van Harten Peter N
Expertise Centre Specialised in Autism Spectrum Disorder, GGz Centraal, Almere, Netherlands.
Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 21;16:1637008. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1637008. eCollection 2025.
Autistic adults often face unique challenges in stress management. Conventional tools may not cater to their distinct needs. The Stress Autism Mate (SAM) app was developed to support stress recognition and promote active coping strategies through structured self-monitoring and personalised feedback. This study explored how autistic outpatient adolescents and adults experience the use of SAM in relation to stress awareness, coping behaviours, and engagement with digital tools.
A qualitative phenomenological design was used, involving in-depth interviews with ten autistic participants (N = 10) who used SAM for at least four weeks. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to identify key patterns in user experiences.
Three key processes were identified: (1) SAM facilitated increased awareness of previously unrecognised stress by externalising internal states, (2) participants shifted from avoidant to active coping strategies, supported by structured reflection and coping suggestions, and (3) the app's emotionally neutral, predictable design created a safe and engaging space for self-regulation. However, tensions between structure and flexibility highlighted the need for greater personalisation to sustain engagement over time.
In conclusion, SAM supports autistic individuals in transforming vague stress experiences into actionable insights, fostering emotional literacy and coping capacity. These findings extend prior quantitative evidence on SAM's efficacy and provide actionable design recommendations for mHealth interventions aimed at neurodivergent populations.
自闭症成年人在压力管理方面常常面临独特的挑战。传统工具可能无法满足他们的特殊需求。压力自闭症伴侣（SAM）应用程序旨在通过结构化的自我监测和个性化反馈来支持压力识别并促进积极的应对策略。本研究探讨了自闭症门诊青少年和成年人在使用SAM时，在压力意识、应对行为以及与数字工具的互动方面的体验。
采用定性现象学设计，对十名使用SAM至少四周的自闭症参与者（N = 10）进行了深入访谈。进行了反思性主题分析，以确定用户体验中的关键模式。
确定了三个关键过程：（1）SAM通过将内部状态外化，促进了对以前未被认识到的压力的更高认识；（2）在结构化反思和应对建议的支持下，参与者从回避型应对策略转向积极应对策略；（3）该应用程序情感中立、可预测的设计为自我调节创造了一个安全且引人入胜的空间。然而，结构与灵活性之间的紧张关系凸显了随着时间推移需要更大程度的个性化以维持参与度。
总之，SAM支持自闭症患者将模糊的压力体验转化为可采取行动的见解，培养情感素养和应对能力。这些发现扩展了之前关于SAM功效的定量证据，并为针对神经发育障碍人群的移动健康干预提供了可操作的设计建议。
