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Abstract
Introduction: Autistic individuals utilize camouflaging strategies to appear non-autistic. Autistic adults experience high rates of mental health concerns, and for various reasons, research has focused mainly on child populations. Specifically, emotion regulation research has underutilized mixed-method approaches and different regulation strategies in autistic samples. Human-animal interaction has also demonstrated support for improving people’s psychological well-being and provided intervention opportunities for people on the spectrum. The influence of emotion regulation and human-animal interaction on camouflaging behaviors has primarily been unexamined. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate differences in emotion regulation strategies (e.g., cognitive, interpersonal, and human-animal interaction) and understand emotion regulation’s influence on camouflaging behaviors and resiliency.
Methods: An online mixed-method cross-sectional study explored autistic adults’ experiences in emotion regulation and camouflaging intentions. An exploratory approach examined demographic differences, a psychological network analysis, hierarchical regression for predictors of resiliency and camouflaging, and qualitative thematic analysis. In total, 380 people consented to the study, with 281 providing completed demographic information.
Analysis: Demographic differences in camouflaging were observed. Camouflaging, perspective-taking, and reappraisal strategies were influential in the psychological network. Positive predictors of camouflaging included self-identifying autistic participants, positive impacts of having pets, social modeling, distancing, and brooding. In contrast, resiliency, negative impacts of having pets, and perspective-taking were negative predictors. Positive predictors of resiliency included participants of color, self-identifying autistic participants, perspective-taking, reappraisal, and acceptance while camouflaging behaviors soothing were significant negative predictors. Both models found interaction demographic interaction terms. Thematic analysis results indicated the following: autistic emotion experience, emotion regulation strategies, interpersonal rejection, desired support, animal agency, transcendental interconnectedness, and defining the interaction.
Discussion: Camouflaging behaviors and resiliency appeared to be influenced by individual differences in emotion regulation strategies and adjusted in response to interpersonal interactions. Participants noted differences in emotion regulation, and interpersonal emotion regulation largely produced negative experiences that required participants to “re-mask” and/or use additional regulatory strategies (e.g., distancing) consistent with the double empathy problem. Participants reported positive experiences with their animals that support emotion regulation via unconditional, non-judgmental love. Insight into further hypothesis generation and theoretical considerations are considered.