Date of Award

8-1-2024

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Psychology

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Kristin V Christodulu

Committee Members

Melissa L Rinaldi, Betty Lin

Keywords

autism, camouflaging, mental health, rumination, stigma

Subject Categories

Psychology

Abstract

A small body of evidence indicates autistic people experience stigma related to autism that predicts mental health outcomes. Among other stigmatized populations, use of emotion regulation process and strategies are mechanisms by which stigma leads to negative outcomes. However, these mechanisms have not yet been explored in relation to autism stigma. In a sample of autistic adults, the present study sought to evaluate whether rumination and camouflaging mediated the relationship between autism stigma and internalizing symptoms utilizing a brief longitudinal design. Participants completed measures of stigma, rumination, camouflaging, and internalizing symptoms at baseline, one month, and two month timepoints. Results did not support the mediating role of rumination or camouflaging and did not find a direct effect of autism stigma on mental health across a two month period. However, non-longitudinal relationships were found between increased autism stigma, increased rumination and camouflaging, and higher levels of internalizing symptoms. Results highlight the complex interplay of these variables and underscore the importance of studying autism stigma in relation to mental health. Implications and future directions are discussed.

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