Exploration of the Feasibility of an Autism Mental Health Massive Open Online Course

This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.

About the autistic author marker

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref
Learn more about the sources used

Browne, K., Lawson, W., Girdler, S., David, N., & Milbourn, B. (2026). Exploration of the Feasibility of an Autism Mental Health Massive Open Online Course. Autism in Adulthood. https://doi.org/10.1177/25739581261471387

Journal or book title
Autism in Adulthood
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Article number
25739581261471387
Publication date: 23 Jul 2026 Added to AutiHub: 30 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
5
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 5 (20.0%)
  1. Katherine Browne
  2. Wenn Lawson *
  3. Sonya Girdler
  4. Nicole David
  5. Ben Milbourn

Abstract

Autistic individuals experience higher rates of depression and anxiety compared with nonautistic individuals; however, there are few services and programs specifically tailored toward the needs of autistic adults. This study explored the feasibility of the free, globally available, co-designed “Autism and Mental Health” MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) as a potential tool to help reduce poor mental health outcomes, using the Bowen framework. Autistic researchers and community members co-produced the MOOC using strengths-based content exploring how cognitive and sensory processing affect mental health while accommodating challenges faced by autistic individuals. The researchers employed a multi-methods research design. Analysis of post-course survey data used descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of survey participant responses to open-ended questions. Between May 2023 and November 2024, 4350 learners enrolled in the MOOC, with 160 participating in the post-course survey. The results indicated that 94% of participants found the course useful, 96% reported that their skills and knowledge had increased, and 99% found the course engaging. Qualitative analysis of open-ended comments identified three themes: importance of autistic voice, need for understanding autism, and the importance of mode of delivery. The researchers determined that the MOOC meets the feasibility criteria to recommend the MOOC for further efficacy testing. The results demonstrate that the MOOC has potential significance for supporting the well-being of autistic individuals by upskilling autistic people, their families, and the professionals supporting them.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 17:07.

Cited references
53
With a DOI
40
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
13
16 / 53 (30.2%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
6 / 53 (11.3%)
References with detected author names
47 / 53 (88.7%)
Without detected author names
6
Without a structured title
4
Without a stable identifier
13
References with raw author names still to review
6
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
216
From DOI or external metadata
216
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
7
139 / 216 (64.4%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 77 / 216 (35.6%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
24 / 216 (11.1%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 24 / 139 (17.3%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 19 / 193 (9.8%).
  1. Paula Robinson , Lindsay G. Oades , Peter Caputi (2015). Conceptualising and measuring mental fitness: A Delphi study . International Journal of Wellbeing, 5(1), 53-73. International Journal of Wellbeing.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.5502/ijw.v5i1.4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1528801490
    Crossref OpenAlex
  2. (n.d.). 1. World Health Organisation. Autism. 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/autism-spectrum-disorders [Last accessed: 28November 2023].
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  5. Virginia Braun , Victoria Clarke (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology . Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1979290264
    Crossref OpenAlex
  7. Soo Young Kim (2013). Efficacy versus Effectiveness . Korean Journal of Family Medicine, 34(4), 227. The Korean Academy of Family Medicine.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.4082/kjfm.2013.34.4.227 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1985880820
    Crossref OpenAlex
  9. Deborah J. Bowen , Matthew Kreuter , Bonnie Spring , Ludmila Cofta-Woerpel , Laura Linnan , Diane Weiner et al. (2009). How We Design Feasibility Studies . American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 36(5), 452. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.02.002 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2014261733
    Crossref OpenAlex
  11. Elinda Ai Lim Lee , Melissa H. Black , Tele Tan , Torbjorn Falkmer , Sonya Girdler (2019). “I’m Destined to Ace This”: Work Experience Placement During High School for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(8), 3089-3101. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04024-x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2942921621
    Crossref OpenAlex
  14. (n.d.). 8. World Health Organisation. Mental health. 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response [Last accessed: July21 2024].
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  15. Jennifer C. Sarrett (2018). Autism and Accommodations in Higher Education: Insights from the Autism Community . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(3), 679-693. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3353-4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2773491881
    Crossref OpenAlex
  16. M. Teresa Anguera , Angel Blanco-Villaseñor , José Luis Losada , Pedro Sánchez-Algarra , Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie (2018). Revisiting the difference between mixed methods and multimethods: Is it all in the name? Quality & Quantity, 52(6), 2757-2770. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s11135-018-0700-2 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2786093879
    Crossref OpenAlex
  17. Meng-Chuan Lai , Caroline Kassee , Richard Besney , Sarah Bonato , Laura Hull , Will Mandy et al. (2019). Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Lancet Psychiatry, 6(10), 819. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(19)30289-5 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2936336589
    Crossref OpenAlex
  18. Nour Albelbisi , Farrah Dina Yusop , Umi Kalsum Mohd Salleh (2018). Mapping the Factors Influencing Success of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) in Higher Education . EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 14(7). Modestum Ltd.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.29333/ejmste/91486 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2803861034
    Crossref OpenAlex
  19. Matthew Hollocks , Jian Wei Lerh , Iliana Magiati , Richard Meiser-Stedman , Traolach Brugha (2019). Anxiety and depression in adults with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Psychological Medicine, 49(4), 559-572. Cambridge University Press (CUP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1017/s0033291718002283 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2889987209
    Crossref OpenAlex
  21. Adrian Furnham , Viren Swami (2018). Mental Health Literacy: A Review of What It Is and Why It Matters . International Perspectives in Psychology, 7(4), 240-257. Hogrefe Publishing Group.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1037/ipp0000094 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2898688711
    Crossref OpenAlex
  23. Louise Camm-Crosbie , Louise Bradley , Rebecca Shaw , Simon Baron-Cohen , Sarah Cassidy (2019). ‘People like me don’t get support’: Autistic adults’ experiences of support and treatment for mental health difficulties, self-injury and suicidality . Autism, 23(6), 1431-1441. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/1362361318816053 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2902777586
    Crossref OpenAlex
  28. James Charlton (1998). Nothing About Us Without UsDisability Oppression and Empowerment . University of California Press.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.1525/california/9780520207950.001.0001 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2976773352
    Crossref OpenAlex
  31. Hamdan Alamri , Victoria Lowell , William Watson , Sunnie Lee Watson (2020). Using personalized learning as an instructional approach to motivate learners in online higher education: Learner self-determination and intrinsic motivation . Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 52(3), 322-352. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/15391523.2020.1728449 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3035991136
    Crossref OpenAlex
  32. George Lazaroiu , Gheorghe h. Popescu , Elvira Nica (2016). DEMOCRATIZING EDUCATION: THE POTENTIAL OF EDX IN REVOLUTIONIZING LEARNING . eLearning and Software for Education, 3, 34-39. Carol I National Defence University Publishing House.
    Type: Other DOI: 10.12753/2066-026x-16-181 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4321848757
    Crossref OpenAlex
  33. (n.d.). 21.edX. CurtinX: Autism and mental health. 2023. https://www.edx.org/learn/mental-health/curtin-university-autism-and-mental-health [Last accessed: April 2025].
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  34. Irene Gómez-Marí , Pilar Sanz-Cervera , Raúl Tárraga-Mínguez (2021). Teachers’ Knowledge Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Systematic Review . Sustainability, 13(9), 5097. MDPI AG.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.3390/su13095097 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3158535848
    Crossref OpenAlex
  35. den Houting J (2021). Participatory and Inclusive Autism Research Practice Guides . Participatory and Inclusive Autism Research Practice Guides, 192236536X.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  36. Kirsten Corden , Rebecca Brewer , Eilidh Cage (2022). A systematic review of healthcare professionals’ knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes towards working with autistic people . Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9(3), 386. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s40489-021-00263-w OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3163025874
    Crossref OpenAlex
  37. Mehdi Badali , Javad Hatami , Seyyed Kazem Banihashem , Ebrahim Rahimi , Omid Noroozi , Zahra Eslami (2022). The role of motivation in MOOCs’ retention rates: a systematic literature review . Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 17(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1186/s41039-022-00181-3 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4210781869
    Crossref OpenAlex
  38. Richard Woods * (2019). The strength of autistic expertise and its implications for autism knowledge production: A response to Damian Milton . Autonomy, 1(6).
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  39. Yunhe Huang , Samuel R. C. Arnold , Kitty-Rose Foley , Julian Trollor (2024). Experiences of Support Following Autism Diagnosis in Adulthood . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 54(2), 518-531. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05811-9 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4309514266
    Crossref OpenAlex
  40. Emily D’Arcy , Tayah Burnett , Emily Capstick , Catherine Elder , Olivia Slee , Sonya Girdler et al. (2024). The Well-being and Support Needs of Australian Caregivers of Neurodiverse Children . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 54(5), 1857-1869. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05910-1 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4319656933
    Crossref OpenAlex
  41. (n.d.). 27. Qualtrics. Qualtrics version November 2024. Provo Utah USA. 2020.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  42. Ben Milbourn , Alyssa Johannes , Ashleigh Moreton , Liam Thomas , Nicholas Clarke , Frank Zimmermann et al. (2023). Exploration of global users' experiences of participating in the “Talk to Me” Mass Open Online Course mental health program . Mental Health Science, 1(3), 187-194. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/mhs2.33 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4385739424
    Crossref OpenAlex
  43. Stamatios Papadakis (2023). MOOCs 2012-2022: An overview . Advances in Mobile Learning Educational Research, 3(1), 682-693. Syncsci Publishing Pte., Ltd..
    Type: Article DOI: 10.25082/amler.2023.01.017 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4324056438
    Crossref OpenAlex
  44. Shahsavari H (2020). Medical research council framework for development and evaluation of complex interventions: A comprehensive guidance . J Educ Health Promot, 9(1), 88.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  45. GeckHong Yeo , Stephanie M Reich , Nicole A Liaw , Elizabeth Yee Min Chia (2024). The Effect of Digital Mental Health Literacy Interventions on Mental Health: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis . Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e51268. JMIR Publications Inc..
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2196/51268 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4390202976
    Crossref OpenAlex
  46. Simon Bury , Darren Hedley , Mirko Uljarevic , Xia Li , Mark A. Stokes , Sander Begeer (2024). Employment profiles of autistic people: An 8-year longitudinal study . Autism, 28(9), 2322-2333. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613231225798 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4391053323
    Crossref OpenAlex
  47. (2020). IBM SPSS statistics for Windows, version 30.0 . IBM SPSS statistics for Windows, version 30.0.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  48. (2002). Using Nvivo in qualitative research . Using Nvivo in qualitative research.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  49. Jade Eloise Norris , Rebecca Harvey , Laura Hull (2025). Post-diagnostic support for adults diagnosed with autism in adulthood in the UK: A systematic review with narrative synthesis . Autism, 29(2), 284-309. SAGE Publications.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1177/13623613241273073 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4402409843
    Crossref OpenAlex
  50. Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (2016). Inclusive research practice guides and checklists for autism research. Version 2 . Inclusive research practice guides and checklists for autism research. Version 2.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  51. Bai K (2017). Self-efficacy and hope as predictors of mental health . Indian J Posit Psychol, 8(4), 631.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  52. Milligan C (2017). Why study on a MOOC? The motives of students and professionals . Int Rev Res Open Distrib Learn, 18(2), 92.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  53. Lai ER (2011). Motivation: A literature review . Pers Res Rep, 6, 40.
    Type: Other
    Crossref