Looking good but feeling bad: "Camouflaging" behaviors and mental health in women with autistic traits.
Camouflaging autistic traits is linked to serious mental health risks in women—even without a formal autism diagnosis.
01Research in Context
What this study did
S et al. asked 58 women to fill out online surveys. All had high autistic traits, but only some had a diagnosis.
The survey measured how much they "camouflage" or hide traits. It also asked about mood, suicidal thoughts, and daily struggles.
What they found
More camouflaging meant more distress, suicidal thoughts, and trouble at work or home. This link stayed strong even when trait severity was low.
In plain words: pretending to be "normal" hurts, even if you do it well.
How this fits with other research
Jorgenson et al. (2020) saw the same pattern in teens. Autistic girls reported higher camouflaging than boys, showing the risk starts early.
Baldwin et al. (2016) already showed autistic women feel isolated and unsupported. S et al. now point to a clear reason why: the strain of hiding.
Nah et al. (2018) found 4 in 10 autistic adults screen positive for anxiety or depression. Camouflaging may be the hidden engine driving those numbers.
Why it matters
If a client masks heavily, probe mood and safety even if she seems "fine." Build goals that value her real self, not just social copies. Teach staff to spot fatigue, shutdowns, or self-criticism after social sessions. These may be red flags for deeper distress.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Women who try to hide or "camouflage" their autistic traits are likely to report that they feel distressed, think of suicide, and/or struggle to function in everyday life. We asked 58 women with autistic traits to complete questionnaires about camouflaging and mental health. Most of these women did not have a formal diagnosis of autism, yet a majority reported that they camouflaged autistic traits, and a large majority reported significant mental health challenges. Some researchers have suggested that women with autistic traits are more likely than autistic men to experience mental health challenges because women may try more to "fit in" socially by camouflaging their autistic traits. Analyses showed that camouflaging was associated with feeling distressed (depressed, anxious, and/or stressed). For women who reported above-average levels of camouflaging, camouflaging was also associated with having thoughts about suicide and struggling to function in everyday life. Trying to camouflage autistic traits was associated with mental health challenges, regardless of whether those traits were very mild or more severe. The findings of this study may influence how mental health professionals evaluate and treat women with autistic traits.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2020 · doi:10.1177/1362361320912147