"From That Moment, Everything has Changed": The Experience of Women With Anorexia Nervosa Receiving a Diagnosis of Autism.

IF 3.9 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

European Eating Disorders Review Pub Date : 2025-03-09 DOI:10.1002/erv.3186

Melissa Creese, Sarah Hampton, Janina Brede, Charli Babb, Mair Elliott, Lucy Serpell, Catherine R G Jones, John R E Fox, Alana Loewenberger, Will Mandy

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引用次数: 0

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.

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来源期刊

European Eating Disorders Review PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

8.90

自引率

7.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： European Eating Disorders Review publishes authoritative and accessible articles, from all over the world, which review or report original research that has implications for the treatment and care of people with eating disorders, and articles which report innovations and experience in the clinical management of eating disorders. The journal focuses on implications for best practice in diagnosis and treatment. The journal also provides a forum for discussion of the causes and prevention of eating disorders, and related health policy. The aims of the journal are to offer a channel of communication between researchers, practitioners, administrators and policymakers who need to report and understand developments in the field of eating disorders.