Hidden in plain sight: a qualitative exploration of the influence of masking on autistic women’s mental health

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

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Harrison, S., Mathew, D., Iarocci, G., & Boldut, E. (2026). Hidden in plain sight: a qualitative exploration of the influence of masking on autistic women’s mental health. Advances in Autism, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/aia-05-2026-0067

Publication date: 2 Sep 2026 Added to AutiHub: 18 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
4
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 4 (25.0%)
  1. Shana Harrison *
  2. Deepak Mathew
  3. Grace Iarocci
  4. Estera Boldut

Abstract

Purpose Masking, the suppression of autistic traits to meet neurotypical expectations, is widely reported among autistic women and linked to adverse mental health outcomes. However, less is known about how masking relates to identity development and internal experience. This study aims to examine the question: what internal “voices,” defined as distinct narrative positions, are present in autistic women’s experiences of masking, unmasking and advocacy? Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews with eight autistic women were analysed using the Listening Guide to identify patterns of relational and emotional positioning across narratives. Findings Three interrelated categories of voices were identified: voices of masking (shame, exhaustion, disconnection), voices of unmasking (self-acceptance, empowerment, connection) and voices of advocacy (resistance, anger and action). These voices co-occurred and were context-dependent rather than sequential. The findings conceptualize masking as a socially embedded survival strategy shaped by gendered and ableist expectations, with unmasking and advocacy emerging as relational responses to safety, recognition and constraint. Originality/value The study advances a neurodiversity-affirming framework that situates autistic identity as dynamically negotiated within structural contexts and highlights implications for reducing environmental demands that necessitate masking.

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: 20 Sep 2026 01:01.

Cited references
48
With a DOI
47
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
1
11 / 48 (22.9%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
0 / 48 (0.0%)
References with detected author names
48 / 48 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
1
References with raw author names still to review
0
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
152
From DOI or external metadata
152
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
89 / 152 (58.6%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 63 / 152 (41.4%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
15 / 152 (9.9%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 15 / 89 (16.9%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 12 / 132 (9.1%).
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