To mask or not to mask: The role of concealment behavior, stigma experience, and community connectedness in autistic people's mental health

Abstract

Psychological theory and results from previous empirical studies paradoxically suggest that concealing and revealing one's autism can each result in reduced mental well-being. On one hand, autistic people who reveal their autistic identity experience considerable anti-autism stigma, which can lead to worse mental health outcomes compared to autistic people who conceal their autistic identity. On the other hand, autistic people who conceal their autistic identity are not afforded the benefits of autistic community connectedness, potentially undermining mental health outcomes compared to autistic people who reveal their autistic identity. The present study explores the relationships between autism concealment behaviors, autistic community connectedness, stigma experience, and mental well-being in autistic people. In an analytic sample of 409 autistic people, we found that concealing one's autistic identity was related to worse depressive symptoms, and that this relationship was related to experiencing greater stigma, and not to differences in community connectedness. These findings reinforce the need for combatting stigma against autistic people.