School of Social and Political Sciences - Research Publications
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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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ItemSuicide and Autism: A Lifespan Perspective(Springer International Publishing, 2022-01-01)