SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS INFLUENCING CAMOUFLAGING BEHAVIOURS AND THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES IN AUTISTIC AND NON-AUTISTIC ADULTS

Background: Camouflaging in autistic people (i.e. strategies to modify behaviour, mask autism-related characteristics, or conform to uncomfortable social situations to appear more “neurotypical”) is associated with poorer mental health and may render one’s support needs being overlooked. While camouflaging is a largely socially driven response, sociocultural factors implicated in camouflaging remain largely unknown. Aims: This study explored sociocultural factors that possibly influenced camouflaging, and the role of camouflaging on psychological well-being in adults with and without autism. Method: 77 Singaporean and international autistic individuals (aged 18 – 57 years) and 233 Singaporean non-autistic university students (aged 18 – 30 years) completed an online self-report survey. Results: Camouflaging in autistic participants was largely driven by perceiving stronger cultural norms and less tolerance for deviance. Non-autistic participants camouflaged more so to maintain harmony and relationships within the social group. Having stronger desires to individuate from others, having a positive autism group identity and higher social support generally reduced different types of camouflaging behaviours in both groups. However, non-autistic individuals with higher autistic traits camouflaged more when they perceived more social support. Lastly, camouflaging was generally associated with poorer mental health and quality of life in both groups, but these relationships were largely explained by levels of autistic traits. Conclusion/Implications: Apart from individual social/communication differences, camouflaging is likely exacerbated by individual perceptions of sociocultural pressures to conform. Interventions for autistic people should include societal-level changes that seek to promote a culture of acceptance and inclusion for individuals who appear different, thus reducing social pressures to camouflage.

Author dc:creator

• LIANG JIAMIN MELANIE

• autism
• camouflaging
• culture
• mental health