![]() ![]() ![]() For example, given that social interactions have changed markedly, and daily routines have become disrupted, the pandemic may have contributed to increased stress and anxiety in autistic people who often rely on routines and find change distressing (Lee, 2020).ĭuring the past year, several studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic individuals. It is conceivable that autistic people are at heightened risk of experiencing adverse effects as a consequence of the pandemic and resultant measures (Ameis et al., 2020 Bal et al., 2021), in particular, when occurring alongside pre-pandemic mental health issues (Yao et al., 2020), for which there is a higher prevalence amongst autistic people (Lai et al., 2019). Rates of stress, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, have reportedly been higher in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to prior to the pandemic (Xiong et al., 2020). Overall, the pandemic has had a negative impact on the wellbeing of many individuals. These measures aimed to protect physical health, but also incurred consequences for mental health, and resulted in disruption to social and economic life. ![]() More stringent rules were temporarily applied, often referred to as ‘lockdowns’, involving the closure of kindergartens, schools, non-essential shops, non-essential businesses, and public places, in combination with stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions. These included personal measures (e.g., hand hygiene, wearing masks), physical and social distancing measures (e.g., avoiding crowded spaces, working from home), movement measures (e.g., avoiding public transport), and shielding measures (e.g., for people living in residential settings, clinically vulnerable groups) (WHO, 2020). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries put in place a range of measures to diminish the transmission of the virus. ![]()
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