From That Moment, Everything has Changed: The Experience of Women With Anorexia Nervosa Receiving a Diagnosis of Autism
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Authors
Creese, Melissa
Hampton, Sarah
Brede, Janina
Babb, Charli
Elliott, Mair
Serpell, Lucy
Jones, Catherine R. G.
Fox, John R. E.
Loewenberger, Alana
Mandy, William
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Issue Date
09/03/2024
Type
Journal article
Language
Keywords
Specialist and Integrated
Alternative Title
Abstract
Objective
Autism and eating disorders (ED) frequently co-occur, particularly in women. Autistic individuals are often undiagnosed when they present to mental health services and many receive their autism diagnosis during or after ED treatment. This study sought to understand the experiences of autistic women with co-occurring anorexia nervosa (AN) receiving an autism diagnosis.
Method
Secondary data analysis was conducted on 17 semi-structured interviews with autistic women with AN using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants had a diagnosis of autism, had current or past experience of AN, were female-identifying and aged 18 or above.
Results
Participants experienced missed opportunities for autism diagnosis along with misdiagnoses and misunderstandings from healthcare professionals. Participants tended to receive their diagnosis at the point of crisis and experienced being passed between autism and ED services. Receiving a diagnosis helped participants make sense of their experiences and take control of their lives but also brought feelings of shock and distress.
Conclusions
While autism diagnosis is often a positive experience for autistic women with AN, a range of emotions can be experienced. The findings highlight a need for better and earlier identification of autism among women with EDs, alongside appropriate post-diagnosis support and ED treatment that is adapted to autistic individuals' needs.
Description
Citation
Eur Eat Disorders Rev, 33: 825-834. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3186
Publisher
License
Journal
European Eating Disorders Review
Volume
33
Issue
4