Brief Report: Does Autistic Community Connectedness Moderate the Relationship Between Masking and Wellbeing?

Area of Science:

• Autism research
• Social psychology
• Mental health studies

Background:

• Masking, the concealment of a stigmatized identity, is common among autistic individuals to navigate social situations and avoid discrimination.
• High rates of masking in autistic people are associated with diminished mental wellbeing.
• Autistic community connectedness (ACC) is explored as a potential protective factor against the adverse mental health outcomes of masking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether autistic community connectedness (ACC) moderates the relationship between masking and wellbeing in autistic individuals.
• To determine if belonging to the autistic community can mitigate the negative mental health impacts of masking.

Main Methods:

• 196 autistic adults completed an online survey assessing ACC, masking, and mental wellbeing.
• Moderation analysis was employed to examine ACC's buffering effect on the masking-wellbeing relationship.

Main Results:

• Increased masking correlated with poorer mental wellbeing.
• Higher ACC was linked to better wellbeing and also higher rates of masking.
• Autistic community connectedness did not significantly moderate the negative association between masking and wellbeing.

Conclusions:

• While ACC is associated with better overall wellbeing, it does not protect autistic individuals from the negative mental health effects of masking.
• The findings suggest that societal prejudice against autistic people is a key factor contributing to the negative impact of masking.
• Reducing discrimination and increasing societal inclusion for autistic people are essential to mitigate the adverse consequences of masking.