Autistic psychiatrists’ experiences of recognising themselves and others as autistic: a qualitative study

Added on 01/11/2024

Type de contenu

Journal article of the type Scientific research ( ; english)

Mary Doherty * , Nick Chown * , Nicola Martin , Sebastian Shaw *
Autistic psychiatrists’ experiences of recognising themselves and others as autistic: a qualitative study published in the journal "BJPsych open" n°10, vol.6, 8 pages , doi: 10.1192/bjo.2024.756

*Three co-authors had publicly identified as autistic. [Learn more about this mention]

Summary/Presentation

Background. Diagnosis of autism falls under the remit of psychiatry. Recognition that psychiatrists could be autistic is recent. Psychiatrists are the second largest specialty group in Autistic Doctors International, a peer support group for autistic doctors.
Aims. To explore the experiences of autistic psychiatrists in relation to recognising themselves and others as autistic.
Method. This was a qualitative study using loosely structured interviews and an interpretive phenomenological analysis.
Results. Eight autistic senior psychiatrists based in the UK participated. One had a childhood diagnosis, two had been diagnosed in adulthood and the remainder self-identified as autistic as adults. Recognition of autism followed diagnosis of their children or encounters with autistic patients. Barriers to self-recognition included lack of autism training, the deficit-based diagnostic criteria and stereotypical views of autism. Recognising that they were autistic led to the realisation that many colleagues were also likely to be autistic, particularly in neurodevelopmental psychiatry. All participants reported the ability to quickly recognise autistic patients and to develop a good rapport easily, once they were aware of their own autistic identity. Difficulties recognising patients as autistic occurred before self-recognition when they shared autistic characteristics and experiences. ‘If we don't recognise ourselves as autistic how on earth can we diagnose patients accurately?’
Conclusions. Autistic psychiatrists face multiple barriers to recognising that they are autistic. Lack of self-recognition may impede diagnostic accuracy with autistic patients. Self-recognition and disclosure by autistic psychiatrists may be facilitated by reframing the traditional deficit-based view of autism towards a neurodiversity-affirmative approach, with consequent benefits for autistic patients.

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(2) Authors listed in this bibliography whose names are in color have published other resources referenced on the site. Clicking on the name allows you to see the list of resources they have published and shared on the site.

(3) Authors whose names are followed by an asterisk have publicly disclosed being autistic.

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