Positive well-being might function as a “resilient factor against depression” in autism spectrum disorder, results of a 12-month study of newly employed adults with ASD suggest.
“The potential for positive well-being to functioning as a buffer against depression in this study, as well as the broader benefits of positive well-being in the general population, suggests that positive well-being should be cultivated within the employment context,” wrote Darren Hedley, PhD, of La Trobe University, Melbourne, and his associates (Autism Res. 2019 Jan 24. doi: 10.1002/aur/2064).
To conduct the study, Dr. Hedley and his associates tested 36 (32 male) adults aged 18-57 with ASD who worked in an employment program supported by the Australian government. Among the measures used to assess mental health, social support, and job satisfaction were the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the DSM-5 Dimensional Anxiety Scale, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12, and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form.
Over the course of 12 months, Dr. Hedley and his associates found that the participants experienced a small increase in their daily living skills and a small drop in job satisfaction, but all other measures – except for depression – remained stable. . “These results are consistent with research in the general population that shows well-being functions as a buffer or protective factor against depression,” they wrote.
Dr. Hedley and his associates cited several limitations, including the small sample size and the absence of a comparative sample of adults with ASD engaged in open employment.
The full study can be found at Autism Research.