Date Published: April 24, 2024

This is a SPARK Research Match Summary Report. It describes results from newly published research using data from SPARK participants.

What was the study about?

Researchers wanted to learn about the relationship between psychological flexibility, mental health concerns, and satisfaction with life among autistic adults. They wondered: does the ability to accept thoughts and feelings while doing things that are of value affect satisfaction with life when experiencing mental health concerns?

How was the research done?

Almost 290 autistic adults in SPARK completed online surveys about depression, anxiety, and stress; psychological flexibility; and their satisfaction with life. Most participants were white and had attended college or vocational school after high school. Fifty-five percent identified as female, and 52 percent identified as LGBTQIA+.¹

What did the researchers learn?

• Having depression reduced autistic adults’ satisfaction with their lives, but anxiety and stress did not.¹
• The effect of depression on life satisfaction was partially explained by a component of psychological flexibility called values progress. Values progress involves the ability to accept and experience uncomfortable feelings while continuing to do things that matter to the person. “What this is talking about is how much are you able to connect with the things that matter most to you in life, in any given week,” says study researcher Ty B. Aller, Ph.D., LMFT.
• People who were able to do things that they valued were more likely to be satisfied with their lives despite experiencing depression.

What was new and innovative about the study?

Researchers worked with autistic adults and an autistic researcher to develop the study. Some autistic adults have told researchers to focus on therapies that help them do what they want to do, rather than trying to cure them of anxiety, depression, or stress. This study is part of an investigation into a therapy that could help people continue to do activities that matter most to them without their emotions or thoughts becoming a barrier to them.

What do the findings mean?

The study provides preliminary support for therapies that focus on improving autistic adults’ psychological flexibility. Researchers hope to use this information to help modify a type of intervention called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, for autistic adults. ACT encourages people to accept, rather than avoid, their thoughts and feelings, and to change their actions to align with their values and goals.

What are people saying?

Study participants:

• “This was by far the best written study. Honestly Thank You. The non-harsh terminology was a breath of fresh air. And it was nice to have different options because I don’t fall in all the Normal boxes.”
• “I appreciated being able to participate in the study!”
• “Thank you for your research & caring about us & our quality of life.”

Study researcher Ty B. Aller, Ph.D., LMFT, research assistant professor, Utah State University:

“Every single human I’ve ever interacted with has the ability to connect with something that matters to them, and that’s a component of psychological flexibility.”

What’s next?

Aller’s team is working to develop and test modifications to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for autistic people with mental health concerns.

References

1. Aller T.B. et al. Autism in Adulthood (2024) Abstract
2. Smout M. et al. J. Contextual Behav. Sci. 3, 164-172 (2014) Abstract

About SPARK Research Match

This SPARK program matches participants with research studies that they may want to join. These studies have been evaluated for scientific merit and approved by a scientific committee at SPARK. The program is free to researchers and participants. SPARK does not endorse or conduct these studies. Participants choose if they want to take part in a particular study.