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

IF 3.4 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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“从那一刻起，一切都改变了”：患有神经性厌食症的女性被诊断为自闭症的经历。

目的：自闭症和饮食失调（ED）经常同时发生，尤其是在女性中。自闭症患者在接受心理健康服务时往往没有得到诊断，许多人在ED治疗期间或之后得到了自闭症诊断。本研究旨在了解同时发生神经性厌食症（AN）的自闭症女性接受自闭症诊断的经历。方法：采用自反性主题分析方法对17例半结构化访谈进行二次资料分析。参与者被诊断为自闭症，目前或过去有AN的经历，年龄在18岁或以上，是女性。结果：参与者经历了错过自闭症诊断的机会以及医疗保健专业人员的误诊和误解。参与者倾向于在危机时刻接受诊断，并经历了在自闭症和ED服务之间的传递。接受诊断有助于参与者理解他们的经历并控制他们的生活，但也带来了震惊和痛苦的感觉。结论：虽然自闭症诊断对患有AN的自闭症女性来说通常是一种积极的经历，但也会经历一系列的情绪。研究结果强调，需要更好和更早地识别患有ED的女性自闭症，以及适当的诊断后支持和ED治疗，以适应自闭症个体的需求。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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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.