An exploration of experiences of self-compassion in autistic women

Section A: This systematic literature review synthesizes and critically evaluates quantitative research into how autistic children and young people are impacted by their experiences of bullying. The quality of thirteen papers is assessed and findings are considered, highlighting generalisability and limitations. The findings are discussed in relation to existing psychological theory, and the implications for clinical practice and the autistic community are stated. Suggestions for future research are made.

Section B: There is little literature exploring the experiences of self-compassion in autistic women. Such research is essential to understanding how autistic women relate to the world, providing insights into how they may develop mental health difficulties, and the importance of self-compassion in self-esteem building and perception of identity. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of autistic women with self-compassion using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three Group Experiential Themes emerged: ‘Connection with identity’, ‘I deserve it, right?’, and ‘Sense of growth’. Research and clinical implications are discussed.