Author(s): Lindy Strand, Abby Julian
Mentor(s): Heather Kelley, Ty Aller
Institution USU
Autistic adults are more likely to experience mental health concerns than adults who are not autistic, however, many of the mental health programs and approaches available were not designed with or for autistic adults. Because these treatment approaches weren’t co-designed, they tend to not emphasize outcomes that matter most to autistic adults, like quality of life, and qualitative research has shown that many autistic adults find these approaches to be unhelpful, confusing, or reinforcing strict societal norms. To address this issue, we employed participatory action research techniques to co-create a digital mental health intervention (DMHI). This DMHI draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to teach various evidence-based skills, such as present moment awareness and committed action. The DMHI consists of six sessions; participants were encouraged to complete one session per week, allowing time to integrate the skills taught in the program into their daily lives. Fifteen autistic adults who completed all six sessions were interviewed about their experience with the program. We employed a team-based approach and thematic analysis coding techniques to analyze these interviews. Through this process, we identified that the program led to changes in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that in turn led to changes in well-being. Specifically, interviews demonstrated that the program improved participants overall well-being in a number of ways, including increased self-confidence or self-acceptance and decreased overall anxiety. The program also improved relational functioning through increasing participants desire to build relationships and increase their comfort in social settings. This study provides support for the effectiveness of online, self-guided ACT-based programs in improving the quality of life among autistic adults.