Amaze launches resource helping autistic women manage mental health

Amaze has launched a new resource to help autistic women overcome the challenges associated with understanding their mental health. 

The Going to the GP About My Mental Health: A guide for autistic women resource is designed to help women talk to a GP about their mental health concerns. 

This resource provides a step-by-step guide on: 

• Identifying any mental health symptoms
• Preparing for meeting a GP 
• Ways to communicate with a GP
• Understanding when to see a GP again

The resource is a result of a research initiative by Amaze and Deakin University.  The research included a survey that aimed to: 

• understand the rate of mental health symptomology in autistic and non-autistic women
• understand the experiences of presenting to a GP for mental health referrals 
• identify barriers to effective engagement with GPs 

The survey reached out to 236 autistic and non-autistic Australian women aged between 18 and 71 years of age. 

Research findings showed that autistic women often face specific challenges in identifying and communicating that they have mental health concerns. Autistic women also have greater mental health needs than non-autistic women. 

Mental health screening tools are not user-friendly for autistic women because the language used is hard to understand and may be misunderstood if taken literally. The research also found that autistic women face specific challenges in seeking support from their GP. 

Go to resources

Hear more from Willow, a young autistic woman, about the resource below: