IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i24p7183-d1300745.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perspectives on Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis, Symptoms, Treatment and Gender Roles: A Qualitative Study of Similarities and Differences between Sexes

Author

Listed:
  • Sigrid Piening

    (Autism Team Northern-Netherlands, Jonx, Department of (Youth) Mental Health and Autism of Lentis Psychiatric Institute, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Ingrid D. C. van Balkom

    (Autism Team Northern-Netherlands, Jonx, Department of (Youth) Mental Health and Autism of Lentis Psychiatric Institute, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Anne Fleur Stapert

    (Autism Team Northern-Netherlands, Jonx, Department of (Youth) Mental Health and Autism of Lentis Psychiatric Institute, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Daria Henning

    (Outpatient Clinic for the Elderly, Lentis Psychiatric Institute, 9725 AG Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Kirstin Greaves-Lord

    (Autism Team Northern-Netherlands, Jonx, Department of (Youth) Mental Health and Autism of Lentis Psychiatric Institute, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands
    Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Lineke R. C. D. Davids

    (Medical Psychology, Martini Hospital, 9700 RM Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Stynke Castelein

    (Department of Clinical Psychology and Experimental Psychopathology, University of Groningen, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands
    Lentis Research, Lentis Psychiatric Institute, 9725 AG Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Yvonne Groen

    (Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

This study aims to compare the experiences of women and men of different age groups with regard to their first autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and gender roles to inform our understanding in clinical practice of differences as well as similarities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted amongst 22 women ( n = 12) and men ( n = 10) in three adult age groups regarding their diagnostic process, symptoms, treatment, and gender roles. Participants also filled out questionnaires on gender traits, social support, coping, and quality of life. Framework analysis guidelines were followed to identify subthemes within the three pre-defined key themes of the semi-structured interviews, and quantitative analyses were performed on the questionnaire results. Women often had caregiver roles and were more focused on social and family-oriented life aspects than men. Family and societal expectations may have been different for women from an early age onward and were considered burdensome by some, but not all. Views on ASD diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment were largely individually determined. The questionnaire results mostly showed no significant sex differences. Perceived gender roles differed between participants. In diagnosis and treatment, awareness of general gender differences and gender roles is important, but inter-individual differences and similar experiences in men should not be overlooked.

Suggested Citation

  • Sigrid Piening & Ingrid D. C. van Balkom & Anne Fleur Stapert & Daria Henning & Kirstin Greaves-Lord & Lineke R. C. D. Davids & Stynke Castelein & Yvonne Groen, 2023. "Perspectives on Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis, Symptoms, Treatment and Gender Roles: A Qualitative Study of Similarities and Differences between Sexes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(24), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:24:p:7183-:d:1300745
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/24/7183/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/24/7183/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. van Wijk, Cecile M.T.Gijsbers & Kolk, Annemarie M. & van Den Bosch, Wil J.H.M. & Van Den Hoogen, Henk J.M., 1992. "Male and female morbidity in general practice: The nature of sex differences," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 665-678, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yvonne Groen & W. Miro Ebert & Francien M. Dittner & Anne Fleur Stapert & Daria Henning & Kirstin Greaves-Lord & R. C. D. (Lineke) Davids & Stynke Castelein & Simon Baron Cohen & Carrie Allison & Ingr, 2023. "Measuring the Autistic Women’s Experience (AWE)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(24), pages 1-25, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Evelyn Forget & Raisa Deber & Leslie Roos & Randy Walld, 2005. "Canadian Health Reform: A Gender Analysis," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 11(1), pages 123-141.
    2. Mohsen Bazargan & James Smith & Mohammed Saqib & Hamid Helmi & Shervin Assari, 2019. "Associations between Polypharmacy, Self-Rated Health, and Depression in African American Older Adults; Mediators and Moderators," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Shervin Assari & Cheryl Wisseh & Mohsen Bazargan, 2019. "Obesity and Polypharmacy among African American Older Adults: Gender as the Moderator and Multimorbidity as the Mediator," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-16, June.
    4. Chang Hoon You & Young Dae Kwon & Sungwook Kang, 2019. "Sex Differences in Factors Affecting Hospital Outpatient Department Visits: Korea Health Panel Survey Data from 2009 to 2016," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Jana Votapkova & Pavlina Zilova, 2016. "The abolition of user charges and the demand for ambulatory visits: evidence from the Czech Republic," Health Economics Review, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Kristensen, Troels & Rose Olsen, Kim & Sortsø, Camilla & Ejersted, Charlotte & Thomsen, Janus Laust & Halling, Anders, 2013. "Resources allocation and health care needs in diabetes care in Danish GP clinics," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 206-215.
    7. Buor, Daniel, 2004. "Gender and the utilisation of health services in the Ashanti Region, Ghana," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 375-388, September.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:24:p:7183-:d:1300745. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.