Autistic People’s Experiences With Mental Health Services: Intersectionality Matters

Autistic people experience elevated rates ofmental health conditions compared to non-autistic people, yet they encountersignificant barriers to accessing supports or services. This study reports on the problems autistic people experience when accessingmental health services in as well aswhat leads to, or could change,these problems. Open-text responses by 539 participants (including 250autistic people)were collected via an online survey.Every response was read and coded using content analysis. The main problems reportedby respondentswere a lack of skilled therapists and a lack of therapists with knowledge/understanding of autism. Respondents identified better training in autism, more neurodivergent/autistic professionals,and increased funding as factors that could prevent/reduce the problems. Exploringresponses through an intersectional lens, specifically,autistic people who identify as women, LGBTQIA+, Low SES, older age,and those living in regional/remote areas, highlighted differingperspective and experiences. The findings identify multiple possible pathways to improve access, address need-treatment gaps,and improve mental health outcomes for autistic people.