Abstract
This study evaluated the suitability of an unpublished autistic burnout assessment tool, focusing on autistic women. Distinguishing autistic burnout from conditions like depression or anxiety is crucial for effective interventions, emphasizing the need for nuanced research and refined measures in understanding and addressing autistic burnout. The Dutch version of the AASPIRE Autistic Burnout Measure (AABM-NL) was evaluated within a sample of 45 autistic women from the Autism Expertise Center. Preliminary findings of the AABM-NL scores demonstrated promising evidence of good internal consistency and convergent validity. Positive associations were observed between AABM-NL scores and a Likert scale assessing identification with autistic burnout, as well as with an instrument measuring physical and psychological complaints (SCL-90-R; Symptom Checklist-90-Revised). Specifically, anxiety, somatization, cognitive-performance deficits, and depression were correlated with the severity of autistic burnout. There was no significant difference between work status and the severity of autistic burnout, implying no employment-related connection. The AABM-NL effectively differentiated between women with and without autistic burnout, with 62 points as a suitable cut-off point. However, these results may not be generalized to women requiring daily living support, individuals beyond outpatient psychiatric settings, or those in institutionalized populations. The preliminary findings provide empirical evidence supporting the use of the AABM-NL as a potential tool for assessing autistic burnout in women receiving outpatient psychiatric care. Its implementation may contribute to programs aimed at recognizing and preventing autistic burnout in women. Further research is needed to enhance intervention strategies for mitigating the risk of autistic burnout.
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Data Availability
The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Dora Raymaker, the Academic Autistic Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education (AASPIRE) group and colleagues for providing a pre-publication version of the AASPIRE Autistic Burnout Measure that was used in this study.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Fleur Schoondermark. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Fleur Schoondermark and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This retrospective study utilized anonymized data from patient files collected during routine diagnostic procedures at the Autism Expertise Center. Patients were informed via the center’s website about the various research projects being conducted. Given that the data collection was part of treatment as usual, obtaining informed consent for participation or publication was not required according to the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO).
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Schoondermark, F., Spek, A. & Kiep, M. Evaluating an Autistic Burnout Measurement in Women. J Autism Dev Disord (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06438-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06438-8