An Overview of Gender, Emotion, and Masking: Mental Health Implications for Late-Diagnosed Autistic Women

• In Event: 50221 - Section on Disability in Society Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 1: Disability, Health, and Healthcare

Abstract

Autistic women are misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed, and later diagnosed. Historical perceptions of autism as a ‘male condition’ and bias in clinical practice and diagnostic and evaluation tools are barriers to obtaining a diagnosis. Masking, an impression management strategy, is more common among autistic women than autistic men, making autism in girls more difficult to detect with male-centered perceptions of its presentation. Autistic girls who conform to gendered expectations of emotion go undetected and ultimately undiagnosed, disproportionately experiencing depression, burnout, and victimization that persist into adulthood. Autistic women attempt and die by suicide at rates higher than non-autistic women and the general population. The impact of a late diagnosis can be detrimental, so it is crucial to examine the role of gender and emotion in the construction and maintenance of the ‘mask’ autistic women wear, with special attention to the mental health consequences over time. Future research should consider the role of gendered emotional expectations and their role in masking across various social contexts and settings, with special attention to the relationship between masking and suicidality.

Author

• Brianna Sandner, University of South Florida