Assessing Social Identity in Autistic Individuals: Evaluating A Self-Report Questionnaire in the Netherlands

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Autistic individuals experience higher rates of mental health difficulties compared to the general population.
• Autistic social identity, encompassing connection to and identification with the autistic community, may be a protective factor for mental health.
• A lack of validated tools to assess social identity in autistic populations hinders research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Dutch version of the 14-item Social Identity in Autism Questionnaire (SIAQ).
• To examine associations between autistic social identity and demographic, autism-related, and mental health variables.

Main Methods:

• A total of 1443 autistic individuals from the Netherlands completed the SIAQ and measures of demographics, autism characteristics, and mental health.
• Factor analyses identified a four-factor structure for social identity: solidarity, satisfaction, centrality, and self-definition.
• Measurement invariance was tested across various demographic and autism-related groups.

Main Results:

• The SIAQ demonstrated acceptable to excellent internal consistency and a robust four-factor structure.
• Measurement invariance was confirmed across age, gender, education, ethnicity, and autism traits.
• Higher satisfaction and lower centrality of social identity were significantly associated with better mental health outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The Dutch SIAQ is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing social identity in autistic individuals in the Netherlands.
• Social identity dimensions differentially relate to demographic and autism characteristics.
• Understanding and supporting autistic social identity may be crucial for promoting mental wellbeing in the autistic population.