Grace, Kana; Remington, Anna; Crane, Laura; (2025) "Trapped in a no-win situation": a qualitative exploration of autistic adults' experiences of loneliness. Autism in Adulthood (In press).

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Abstract

Background. Loneliness is a major public health concern, affecting individuals’ mental and physical health. Autistic adults self-report higher levels of loneliness compared to non-autistic adults, yet their lived experiences of loneliness remain under-explored. We conducted an online survey of autistic adults in the United Kingdom (UK), to examine this issue further. / Methods. Two hundred and three autistic adults completed our online qualitative survey. We asked participants to define loneliness, and to explain how loneliness affects them, how they manage feelings of loneliness, what helps them overcome loneliness, and if (or how) their experiences of loneliness change over time. We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze the data, and an autistic researcher led the data analysis process. / Results. We identified four primary themes (encompassing eight sub-themes): (1) internal conflict between the desire for, and barriers to, social connection, (2) barriers to connection for autistic adults (such as sensory environments, lack of societal understanding and acceptance of autism, and lack of shared understanding and experiences), (3) importance of meaningful relationships (including connecting with similar others, spending time with pets/animals, and reliance on one person while fearing the loss of that person), and (4) coming to terms with the realities of autistic experience by accepting one’s autistic identity and no longer resisting the experience of loneliness. / Conclusions. Our findings show that autistic adults face dilemmas as they try to balance their desire for social connection with their limited energy for engaging in social experiences. Our results also highlight the societal and environmental factors that contribute to loneliness in autistic people, such as a perceived lack of acceptance of autistic differences. Finally, we identified potential ways to alleviate loneliness among autistic adults (e.g., connecting with similar others and understanding oneself).

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