Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42570180›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2026

"It is Just Too Overwhelming and Constant": Environmental Influences on Anxiety and Depression in Autistic Young People.

Sarah Hampton, Will Mandy, Reesha Zahir, Odette Miller, Susannah Carter, Emily Midouhas, Eirini Flouri, Kate Cooper

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Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Sarah HamptonDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK. schampton41@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5967-9845
Will MandyDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
Reesha ZahirDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
Odette MillerDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
Susannah CarterDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
Emily MidouhasInstitute of Education, University College London, London, UK.
Eirini FlouriInstitute of Education, University College London, London, UK.
Kate CooperDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.

Funding

Economic and Social Research Council ES/X014207/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAutistic people experience high rates of anxiety and depression, yet an evidence-based understanding of how and why these difficulties first develop is lacking. By centring autistic young people's accounts, this study aims to understand how interactions between autistic people and their environment throughout childhood and adolescence give rise to anxiety and depression.

methodsTwenty autistic young people aged 10-18 and 30 parents of autistic young people aged 5-18 completed semi-structured qualitative interviews about experiences of anxiety and depression.

resultsFramework Analysis identified three themes. External demands and pressures: Participants described the weight of pressures to meet non-autistic standards within school, social and sensory environments. Autonomy and control: Young people struggled with environments not under their control. They benefited from a balance of structure and autonomy within home and school settings. Safety, trust and predictability: Trust and acceptance from others (such as family, peers, teachers and professionals), access to safe places (such as home and nature), and engaging in interests were important protective factors.

conclusionAutistic young people can feel pressure to meet non-autistic demands, impacting mental health. Factors such as academic expectations, parenting styles, understanding of autism among family, teachers and peers, and low sensory demand spaces may be important targets for intervention.

Indexed as

AnxietyAutismDepressionEnvironmentInternalisingYoung people

Identifiers

PMID42570180

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.