See below for the latest publications, news and media coverage from the GoldAge Lab. Click here for a full publicaiton list.
Recent Publications and Presentations
December 2022: Predictors of Sleep Quality for Autistic People Across Adulthood
Poor sleep has negative impacts on our physical and mental health. We explored what factors predict sleep quality among over 700 autistic adults. Participants completed online surveys about their health problems, social support, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and overall sleep quality. We found that being female, having high anxiety and having poor health were associated with poor sleep for autistic people. Stress, psychiatric medication use, and receiving support from government agencies were important for some (but not all) aspects of sleep. These findings raise awareness of the risk of poor sleep among autistic people of all ages, and of the impact that it can have on well-being.
September 2022: Social Support and Quality of Life in Autistic Adults
In this study, the GoldAge Lab collaborated with Dr Greg Wallace of George Washington University to examine the relationship between social support and quality of life in nearly 400 middle-aged and older autistic people. Social support may include receiving help from others, talking or spending time with friends and family, and having satisfying relationships. We found that those autistic adults who said that they had more social support reported more satisfaction with various aspects of their lives. These findings could help inform efforts to provide services or social supports to autistic people as they age.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interviews and Media Coverage
April 2022: A summary of Dr Rebecca Charlton's paper about the importance of social support in older autistic people published in Autism was highlighted in this press releases from Goldsmiths University.
September 2021: A summary of Dr Rebecca Charlton's paper about stimming and its positive impacts published in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders was highlighted in this press releases from Goldsmiths University.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------