Most research on autism and coping is focused on parents of children with autism. There is a lack of understanding how individuals with autism cope themselves and how it may relate to their mental...Show moreMost research on autism and coping is focused on parents of children with autism. There is a lack of understanding how individuals with autism cope themselves and how it may relate to their mental health. Every year more people with autism enroll into higher education, which calls for a better understanding of the potential difficulties they may face. This study focused on the relationship between autism, primary coping style and depressive symptoms in a sample of university students with and without a diagnosis of autism. A cross-sectional online survey (n = 222) was administered to explore how these factors relate by using multiple questionnaires measuring coping style, depressive symptoms, autism diagnosis and autism symptoms. Results showed that primary coping style was associated with depressive symptoms. Avoidant coping in particular was related to more depressive symptoms. However, there was no significant link between autism diagnosis and depressive symptoms. The study also found that students with autism were more likely to use avoidant and emotion-focused coping styles compared to problem-focused coping. Furthermore, coping style seems to be responsible for higher levels of depressive symptoms in students with autism, and not the autism diagnosis itself. Implications and alternative explanations for these results are discussed, together with suggestions for future research.Show less
University students face different challenges throughout their university life. Their ability to cope with difficult situations influences their academic performance. Students with ASD are likely...Show moreUniversity students face different challenges throughout their university life. Their ability to cope with difficult situations influences their academic performance. Students with ASD are likely to face more challenges in university as a result of their autistic symptoms. Additionally, they may experience more difficulties employing effective coping strategies to manage difficult situations compared to students without ASD. This study explored the relationship between primary coping style and academic performance. Differences in primary coping style between university students with and without ASD were also examined. This study also investigated the relationship between primary coping style, autism diagnosis, and academic performance. Students with a clinical diagnosis of autism completed the AQ-Short to assess autistic symptoms. Students’ primary coping style was examined based on their scores on the subscales of the Brief-COPE. Academic performance was measured by students’ grade point average for the current academic year. Results showed, primary coping style was associated with academic performance. Problem-focused and emotion-focused primary coping styles were associated with better academic performance compared to avoidance primary coping style. Additionally, students with ASD were more likely to employ emotion-focused primary coping style or avoidance primary coping style, whereas students without ASD were more likely to employ problem-focused primary coping style. However, autism diagnosis did not moderate the relationship between primary coping style and academic performance. These findings suggested a link between primary coping style and academic performance, as well as differences in coping between students with and without ASD. Limitations and implications for future research were also discussed.Show less
