Early Pandemic Experiences of Autistic Adults: Predictors of Psychological Distress.
Younger, female, or previously diagnosed autistic adults felt the sharpest COVID distress, but targeted remote groups can turn the tide.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team sent an online survey to autistic adults in the first months of COVID-19. They asked about mood, hope, and use of remote services.
They wanted to know who felt the worst and why.
What they found
Younger adults, women, and those with past mental-health diagnoses reported the highest distress.
Feeling less hopeful and getting little help from online supports made the stress worse.
How this fits with other research
Hedley et al. (2021) ran a similar 2021 survey. Both papers show the same group — younger and female autistic adults — suffered most, giving a clear signal.
Faught et al. (2021) asked parents of autistic kids the same questions. Parents also reported double the usual distress, proving the whole family felt the strain.
Lunsky et al. (2025) later tested a fix: a six-week virtual mindfulness group. Distress dropped and the gains lasted two months, showing online help can work when it is well built.
Why it matters
Screen your younger and female autistic clients first. Ask one extra question about hope each visit — it is a fast red-flag check. If stress is high, skip generic webinars and try a structured remote group like mindfulness or skills coaching. Good design beats no design.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives around the world. Autistic adults are at higher risk for co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions and may be more prone to difficulties adapting to pandemic-related changes and social distancing mandates and coping with ongoing uncertainties. On the other hand, the pandemic may lead to greater understanding and acceptance of accommodations in the broader community that may facilitate supports for autistic adults beyond the pandemic. To learn more about their early pandemic experiences, online surveys were sent to independent adults enrolled in the Simons Powering Autism Research Knowledge (SPARK). The first survey was open from March 30 to April 19, 2020; a follow-up survey sent to original responders was open from May 27 to June 6, yielding 396 participants with data for both surveys. We found that adults who were female, younger, had prior diagnoses of a mental health condition, personal COVID-19 experience (i.e., knowing someone who had symptoms or tested positive) or less frequent hope for the future reported the greatest negative impacts. Decrease in feelings of hopefulness over time predicted greater psychological distress at T2, accounting for T1 impact and distress levels and increases in total COVID-19 impact. Less perceived benefit of online services also predicted later distress. Although there tends to be a focus on coping with negative effects of the pandemic, mental health providers may consider approaches that focus on positives, such as fostering hope and understanding factors that facilitate benefit from online services. LAY SUMMARY: Autistic adults may be at risk for psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study suggests that autistic adults who were younger, female, had a mental health diagnosis before the pandemic and knew someone who showed symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 reported more areas negatively impacted by COVID-19 and greater difficulty coping with those effects. Decreases in hope over time were associated with greater psychological distress. Less perceived benefit from online services also predicted distress 2 months later. These results suggest important areas to further explore as we develop supports for autistic adults during the pandemic.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2021 · doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30526-2