The DOI matches its Crossref record; 56 of the 57 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The combined impact of social support and perceived stress on quality of life in adults with autism spectrum disorder and without intellectual disability
Open accessAbstract
Identifying modifiable correlates of good quality of life in adults with autism spectrum disorder is of paramount importance for intervention development as the population of adults with autism spectrum disorder increases. This study sought to examine social support and perceived stress as potential modifiable correlates of quality of life in adults with autism spectrum disorder. We hypothesized that adults with autism spectrum disorder without co-occurring intellectual disabilities ( N = 40; aged 18–44 years) would report lower levels of social support and quality of life than typical community volunteers who were matched for age, sex, and race ( N = 25). We additionally hypothesized that social support would buffer the effect of perceived stress on quality of life in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Results indicated that adults with autism spectrum disorder reported significantly lower levels of social support and quality of life than matched typical community volunteers. In addition, findings showed significant direct effects of social support and perceived stress on quality of life in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Social support did not buffer the effect of perceived stress on quality of life. Interventions that teach adults with autism spectrum disorder skills to help them better manage stress and cultivate supportive social relationships have the potential to improve quality of life.
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“many people feel that social change is required 235 , whereas other individuals want therapies to meet a range of their needs 236 .”
From Autism spectrum disorder (2020) · cites this paper as [236]
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“Autistic individuals experience both more stress in everyday life (Bishop-Fitzpatrick et al., 2018; Hirvikoski & Blomqvist, 2015) and more stressful major life events than non-autistic adults (Moseley et al., 2021).”
From Mindfulness-based stress reduction for autistic adults: A feasibility study in an outpatient context. (2024) · cites this paper as Bishop-Fitzpatrick et al., 2018
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“research suggesting that they experience less social support from others as well as perceiving more stress (Bishop-Fitzpatrick et al. 2017).”
From Experiences of autism acceptance and mental health in autistic adults (2018) · cites this paper as Bishop-Fitzpatrick et al. 2017
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Metadata
- Authors
- Bishop-Fitzpatrick, L., Mazefsky, C. A., & Eack, S. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
- Venue
- Autism
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2017-06-30
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 703-711
- ISSN
- 1362-3613 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7005
- PMC
- PMC5711618
- OpenAlex
- W2733243365
- Cited by
- 142
- References
- 57
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 3.92
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Autism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (MH-85851, U54HD090256, T32HD007489, MH-95783)
- Pennsylvania Department of Health
- U.S. Department of Defense (AR10034)
- Autism Speaks (5703, 8568)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Down syndrome and intellectual disability research
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, social support, perceived stress, quality of life, autistic adults, intellectual disability, stress buffering, interpersonal relationships, stress management skills
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adolescent, Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Quality of Life, Social Support, Stress, Psychological, Linear Models, Case-Control Studies, Young Adult
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