School of Social and Political Sciences - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview AvailableThe Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale-Modified (SIDAS-M): Development and preliminary validation of a new scale for the measurement of suicidal ideation in autistic adults(SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD, 2023-05)Autistic people may be at higher risk of suicidal behavior than people in the general population. Suicidal behavior may include thinking about suicide or attempting to end one's own life by suicide. It is important to identify autistic people who may be thinking about suicide. People who are at risk of suicidal behavior can be identified by asking questions about whether they have been thinking about suicide. A specially designed questionnaire, or screening instrument, can help someone ask the best questions to find out if someone has been thinking about suicide. This information can help to identify supports to be put in place to prevent suicidal behavior, such as a suicide attempt. However, autistic people may interpret questions differently than non-autistic people. It is important to use screening tools that have been designed with, and for autistic people. In this study, we examined the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS). The SIDAS is an existing tool that was developed to screen for suicidal thinking in the general population. We modified SIDAS for use with autistic adults. We involved autistic people in the process of modifying SIDAS. We called the modified instrument the SIDAS-M. The results of our study showed SIDAS-M may be useful for screening for suicidal thinking in autistic adults who do not have an intellectual disability.
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ItemThe Efficacy of Disability Employment Service (DES) Providers Working with Autistic Clients(SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS, 2023-12)The efficacy of the Australian Disability Employment Services (DES) for autistic jobseekers has not been examined and is currently undergoing Government reform. To help inform the new DES strategy, we sought the views of: 24 autistic individuals; seven family members of autistic individuals, and; 46 DES employees. Data were collected using surveys and interviews. Data were analysed using Mann Whitney tests plus deductive thematic analysis based on Nicholas and colleagues' ecosystems model. Participants highlighted a need to adapt existing policies to enhance flexibility of the DES model. There was participant consensus that DES staff require specific education and training to meet the needs of autistic people. Suggestions to inform the new model of DES for autistic people are made.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableA Mixed Methods Study of the Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Mental Health Service Access during COVID-19, of Autistic Adults in Australia. Panel: Challenges and Resilience: Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Autistic Individuals and Their Families across the Lifespan(International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting, 2022)
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ItemDevelopment of the Suicide Ideation Attributes Scale-Modified (SIDAS-M) for autistic adults(INSAR, 2021)There are currently few instruments specifically designed or adapted to assess suicide risk in the autistic population. The Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS) is a 5-item assessment of suicidal ideation that is commonly used and well-validated in suicide research. Unlike other instruments that primarily assess past suicidal behavior (e.g., Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised; SBQ-R), SIDAS focuses on recent (4-week) ideation making it useful for identifying current risk. SIDAS demonstrates a single factor, good internal consistency, and convergent validity. In addition to strong psychometric properties, its clear questions and straightforward design make it a strong candidate for suicide risk assessment in the autistic population. Therefore, we followed current gold-standard recommendations for measurement development and modification, as well as coproduction with autistic people, to derive and validate a modified version of the instrument (SIDAS-M) specifically adapted for use with autistic adults with a diverse range of abilities.
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ItemThe association between COVID-19, personal wellbeing, depression, and suicide risk factors in Australian autistic adults(WILEY, 2021-12)The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the world's population, with particularly negative effects on vulnerable populations, including autistic people. Although some consensus regarding specific impact on aspects of wellbeing and mental health in autism is starting to emerge, it is unclear whether the pandemic has increased suicide risk. The goals of this study were to examine (a) potential associations between COVID-19 impact and depression, personal wellbeing, and suicide risk factors in Australian autistic adults and (b) age and gender effects. The COVID-19 Impact Scale (CIS), Personal Wellbeing Index, Patient Health Questionnaire, and the Suicide Behavior Questionnaire, Revised (SBQ-R), were administered to 111 autistic adults aged 20 to 71 years during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. COVID-19 impact showed small associations with poorer personal wellbeing (r = -0.224, p = 0.023, [-0.409, -0.016]) and higher depressive symptoms (r = 0.268, p = 0.006, [0.056, 0.445]) and was not associated with the SBQ-R suicide risk score (r = 0.081, p = 0.418, [-0.118, 0.264). No significant effects were identified for age. Although model results were similar for women and men, the strength of the associations between personal wellbeing and depression (z = -2.16, p = 0.015), and depression and SBQ-R suicide risk (z = 1.961, p = 0.025), were stronger in women than in men. Qualitative analysis of an open response question from the CIS suggested that the pandemic had both positive and negative impacts on participants. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the world's population, particularly vulnerable populations such as autistic people. It is not known if these impacts on mental health and wellbeing have increased suicide risk. Our findings suggest that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may be associated with poorer wellbeing and higher depression, but is not associated with suicide risk. Overall, autistic people reported both positive and negative impacts of the pandemic on their lives.
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ItemBuilding capacities for inclusion: Identifying the priorities of inclusion and mainstream capacity building for people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and post-polio syndrome(Centre for Social Impact Swinburne University of Technology (CfSISUT), 2019)https://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/file/27614f17-6517-41f3-852c-2f8ea7cd7345/1/2019-wilson-building_capacities_for.pdf
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ItemIdentifying the priorities of inclusion and mainstream capacity building for people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and post-polio syndrome: Summary of results based on data for the Brisbane area(Centre for Social Impact Swinburne University of Technology (CfSISUT), 2019)
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ItemIdentifying the priorities of inclusion and mainstream capacity building for people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and post-polio syndrome: Summary of results based on data for Tasmania(Centre for Social Impact Swinburne University of Technology (CfSISUT), 2019)
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ItemIdentifying the priorities of inclusion and mainstream capacity building for people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and post-polio syndrome: Summary of results based on data for the Bundaberg area(Centre for Social Impact Swinburne University of Technology (CfSISUT), 2019)
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ItemIdentifying the priorities of inclusion and mainstream capacity building for people with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and post-polio syndrome: Summary of results based on data for the Cairns area(Centre for Social Impact Swinburne University of Technology (CfSISUT), 2019)