A Critical Review of Academic Literature Constructing Well-Being in Autistic Adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Yu Hin Lam ◽  
Sujay Sabnis ◽  
Maria Migueliz Valcarlos ◽  
Jennifer R. Wolgemuth
Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 1469-1480
Author(s):  
Maya Bowri ◽  
Laura Hull ◽  
Carrie Allison ◽  
Paula Smith ◽  
Simon Baron-Cohen ◽  
...  

This study explored demographic and psychological predictors of alcohol use and misuse in a high-functioning, community sample of 237 autistic adults aged 18–75 (mean = 41.92 and standard deviation = 13.3) recruited in the United Kingdom. An online survey measured demographic information, autistic traits, depression, generalised anxiety, social anxiety, mental well-being, social camouflaging and alcohol use with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. The sample was divided into three groups (non-drinkers, non-hazardous drinkers and hazardous drinkers) and multinomial logistic regression models were used to investigate associations between alcohol use and demographic factors, autistic traits, mental health variables and social camouflaging. Our results demonstrated a U-shaped pattern among autistic adults, with non-drinkers and hazardous drinkers scoring significantly higher than non-hazardous drinkers on levels of autistic traits, depression, generalised anxiety and social anxiety. In multivariate analysis, autistic non-drinkers were less likely to be male (odds ratio = 0.44; 95% confidence interval = 0.22–0.87) and had more autistic traits (odds ratio = 2.50; 95% confidence interval = 1.19–5.28). Gender and level of autistic traits may be the most significant factors in predicting alcohol use in the autistic community. Lay abstract Alcohol use and misuse are associated with a variety of negative physical, psychological and social consequences. The limited existing research on substance use including alcohol use in autistic adults has yielded mixed findings, with some studies concluding that autism reduces the likelihood of substance use and others suggesting that autism may increase an individual’s risk for substance misuse. This study investigated demographic and psychological predictors of alcohol use and misuse in a sample of 237 autistic adults. An online survey was used to obtain data on demographic information, autistic traits, depression, generalised anxiety, social anxiety, mental well-being, social camouflaging and alcohol use. The sample was divided into three groups (non-drinkers, non-hazardous drinkers and hazardous drinkers) in order to investigate associations between alcohol use and demographic factors, autistic traits, mental health variables and social camouflaging. Our results demonstrated a U-shaped pattern among autistic adults, with non-drinkers and hazardous drinkers scoring higher than non-hazardous drinkers on levels of autistic traits, depression, generalised anxiety and social anxiety. Autistic non-drinkers were less likely to be male and had more autistic traits. Gender and level of autistic traits may be the most significant factors in predicting alcohol use in the autistic community.


Author(s):  
Andree Hartanto ◽  
Verity Y.Q. Lua ◽  
Frosch Y.X. Quek ◽  
Jose C. Yong ◽  
Matthew H.S. Ng

2021 ◽  
pp. 147821032110372
Author(s):  
Celeste Duff

Globally, mindfulness is an emerging and innovative trend in education. Specifically, in school-based education, there has been growing excitement surrounding the implementation of mindfulness. Although policy, political and economic shifts and powers may seem quite far removed from the realities of children and mindfulness, the political economy does indeed saturate and shape children’s lives in multiple ways. The purpose of this review is to chart some of the economic and political contexts and highlight some of the shifts that may speak to the emerging trend of mindfulness in education. This critical review addresses the themes and shifts in economies and educational policy, highlights links between neuroscience-based discourses, mindfulness, social-emotional learning and emotional well-being in education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliano Schwartz ◽  
Paul Oh ◽  
Maira B. Perotto ◽  
Ryan E. Rhodes ◽  
Wanda Firth ◽  
...  

In light of new evidence on the prevention of chronic diseases and the elevated rates of overweight and obesity in Brazil and Canada, this critical review aims to interpret and synthesize current aspects regarding dietary and physical activity initiatives in both countries and make future recommendations. The pioneering work presented in the last Brazilian dietary guidelines has been called a model that can be applied globally, given its conceptualization of healthy eating that translates easily to practical guidance. The new Canadian Food Guide has incorporated similar aspects, also putting the country as a leader in dietary guidance. With these new recommendations, citizens in both Brazil and Canada have access to impactful evidence-informed nutritional guidelines. Both documents propose eating patterns that focus not only on health benefits, such as chronic disease prevention, but also incorporate well-being concerning cultural, economic, sociodemographic, biological, and ecological dimensions. A similar approach is required for physical activity to allow individuals to have attainable health and life goals and thereby fully enjoy their lives, regardless of geographical location, health status, and socioeconomic condition, a concept recently described as physical activity security. The wholistic dietary guidelines from both countries represent a change in paradigm in public health. Likewise, national evidence-based policies are warranted to reduce disparities in physical activity, allowing healthier and more active lifestyles for everyone.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1242
Author(s):  
Victor Bueno Sellin ◽  
Tania Pereira Christopoulos

The world is undergoing an accelerated urbanization process marked by social and environmental imbalances. In this context, urban and periurban agriculture (UPA) emerges as an alternative to sustainable urbanization mainly due to its contribution to food security, reduction of environmental impact, revitalization of urban areas, integration of households and physical and psychological well-being increasing. The purpose of this paper is to understand how academic literature deals with urban and periurban agriculture. For that, a scoping / mapping literature review was carried out and its results were presented after identification of relevant scientific studies on UPA, its main aspects, ways in which the term has been defined; and discussion about themes from the selected articles. After this review, the conclusions are: the scientific production on the subject is undergoing high growth rates in recent years; the relationship between UPA and urban dynamics is more important for the definition of UPA than the location of agriculture; and that the aspects that authors found most interesting are: concept and panorama, urban planning and governance, quantitative potential, environment, risk of contamination and techniques and productivity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alude Mahali ◽  
Ingrid Lynch ◽  
Angelina Wilson Fadiji ◽  
Tsidiso Tolla ◽  
Sinakekelwe Khumalo ◽  
...  

The subject of human well-being continues to gain traction in disciplines as diverse as psychology, sociology, development studies, and economics. Current scholarship, however, is still largely framed by normative assumptions about what being well means, and the overwhelming majority of conceptual approaches to well-being being have been conceived and applied by researchers in the industrialized, wealthy contexts of the global North. We critique the current conceptualizations of well-being and assess their applicability to research in the global south, particularly in contexts marked by poverty and inequality.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 274-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Verduyn ◽  
Oscar Ybarra ◽  
Maxime Résibois ◽  
John Jonides ◽  
Ethan Kross

Author(s):  
Ye In (Jane) Hwang ◽  
Kitty-Rose Foley ◽  
Samuel Arnold ◽  
Julian Trollor

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or autism, is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is typically recognized and diagnosed in childhood. There is no established biological marker for autism; rather, the diagnosis is made based on observation of behavioral traits, including (a) persistent deficits in social interaction and communication, and (b) restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Because autism is a spectrum disorder, autistic individuals are a highly heterogeneous group and differ widely in the presentation and severity of their symptoms. The established prevalence of ASD is approximately 1% of the population. Information about autism in adulthood is limited; most of the literature examines childhood and adolescence. While the term “later life” has traditionally been associated with those over the age of 65, a dire lack of understanding exists for those on the autism spectrum beyond early adulthood. Individuals remain on the spectrum into later life, though some mild improvements in symptoms are observed over time. Autistic adults experience high levels of physical and mental health comorbidities. Rates of participation in employment and education are also lower than that of the general population. Quality of life is reportedly poorer for autistic adults than for nonautistic peers, though this is not affected by age. More robust studies of the health, well-being, and needs of autistic adults are needed, especially qualitative investigations of adulthood and aging and longitudinal studies of development over the lifespan.


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