Resumen
Background: Autistic adults experience higher rates of mental health difficulties than non-autistic adults, driven in part by marginalisation, minority stress and internalised stigma. Self-as-context, a core process of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, may offer a way to loosen the grip of identity-related distress, but it has not previously been tested experimentally in an autistic sample. Method: In a preregistered online randomised experiment, 101 UK-based autistic adults recruited via Prolific were allocated to an 8-minute self-as-context skills video or a time-matched neutral video control (final N = 93). Participants completed baseline measures, wrote about a time they felt out of place due to being autistic, viewed the intervention or control video, re-read their account, and then viewed a calming video, completing momentary state measures after each of five phases. Data were analysed using 2 (condition) × 5 (phase) mixed ANOVAs. Results: After re-reading their account, the self-as-context condition reported significantly lower state shame than controls (Mdiff = −1.52, p = .036, ηp² = .048). The between-condition difference in state self-compassion at that point was non-significant (Mdiff = 0.34, p = .062), although the self-as-context condition scored higher immediately after the intervention (p = .046) and at the end of the study (p = .030). Significant condition × phase interactions emerged for state self-compassion, F(3.04, 276.84) = 6.14, p < .001, ηp² = .063, and state experiential avoidance, F(3.40, 309.14) = 5.22, p = .001, ηp² = .054, with the self-as-context condition reporting lower experiential avoidance from the intervention onwards (ps ≤ .010). No effects were found for state self-as-context. Conclusions: A single brief, self-paced self-as-context exercise reduced state shame and showed promise for improving self-compassion and reducing experiential avoidance in autistic adults reflecting on identity-related distress. These first experimental data support self-as-context as a therapeutic target for this population and brief online delivery as feasible; replication with larger samples and validated self-as-context measures is needed.
Cómo citar (APA 7)
Lawson, L., Corda, O., Mirabile, M., Broadbent, L. T., & Bury, S. (2026). Making Room for Autistic Identity: An Experimental Investigation of Self-as-Context with Autistic Adults. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/23cuq_v1
