Understanding the Mental Health Experiences of Autistic Students in Higher Education: A Mixed Methods Approach
Date
2024-08-06
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Abstract
Abstract Background: Mental health issues like depression and anxiety are a persistent problem among higher education students, especially students on the autism spectrum. The reasons behind autistic students’ high rates of mental health problems remain unclear, with few studies addressing this topic. However, several factors impacting mental health have been identified within autistic adults and non-autistic higher education students separately, such as perceived campus climate, internalized stigma, and camouflaging (attempts to hide one’s autism). Method: In this exploratory mixed methods study, I combined semi-structured interviews and online surveys to investigate factors associated with mental health among a sample of autistic students attending the University of Calgary (UCalgary). Quantitative analyses included collecting descriptive statistics from the survey and running correlations between mental health outcomes (e.g., stress, quality of life) and potential factors (e.g., campus climate, stigma, camouflaging), while qualitative analysis consisted of reflexive thematic analysis of interview data to understand participants’ lived experiences with mental health. Results: Based on 12 surveys and 10 interviews, several key findings emerged. First, participants reported high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Second, autism-specific quality of life was negatively correlated with stigma but positively correlated with camouflaging and campus climate; no other correlations between factors and mental health outcomes reached significance, although stigma and camouflaging had a strong negative correlation. Finally, three key themes were developed from the interviews: 1) autistic students have heterogeneous experiences with mental health; 2) mental health is affected by personal autism identity and societal-level messages about autism, including stigma; and 3) the UCalgary environment has both positive (e.g., providing autism-specific supports) and negative (e.g., too much sensory input) influences on mental health. Collectively, these findings support past literature and underscore the need to increase mental health support for autistic students. Conclusions and Impact: These initial findings highlight how a variety of individual and environmental factors contribute to autistic students’ mental health. Addressing these factors can create more inclusive environments at higher education institutions like UCalgary, thus fostering well-being and academic success for autistic and non-autistic students alike.
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Keywords
autism, neurodiversity, mental health, higher education, post-secondary, university, mixed methods
Citation
Williamson, J. (2024). Understanding the mental health experiences of autistic students in higher education: a mixed methods approach (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.