Perry, Ruben and Knight, Ruth ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0660-4588 (2026) ‘You feel yourself boxed in as to what you can access because of who you are’: Thematic analysis of autistic women’s experiences of mental health services in the United Kingdom. Psychology of Women and Equalities Review, 9 (1). pp. 3-28.

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Abstract

Autistic women are at higher risk of mental health disorders such as eating disorders, post-natal depression and self-harm. They are more likely to use psychiatric services compared to the general population. Despite this, there is limited research on autistic women’s experiences of mental health services. This study aimed to explore how autistic women are supported within mental health services. Five participants were recruited for semi-structured interviews focusing on their experiences of treatment as an autistic woman in services. Three themes were found using a reflexive thematic analysis: 1) lack of understanding of autism, 2) inaccessible services, and 3) the value of person-centred care. The findings revealed that autistic women experience inappropriate behaviour from professionals, thus providing supportive evidence for future studies to explore how autistic traits increase vulnerability and how to improve safeguarding for autistic service users.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	‘This is a pre-publication version'.
Status:	Published
DOI:	10.53841/bpspowe.2026.9.1.6
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/15762

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