The Cumulative Cost of Adaptation: Individual and Structural Factors Associated with Autistic Burnout Severity
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 markerRebours, C. & Kruck, J. (2026). The Cumulative Cost of Adaptation: Individual and Structural Factors Associated with Autistic Burnout Severity [Preprint]. Center for Open Science. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/cqk6p_v1
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Abstract
Autistic burnout is characterized by chronic exhaustion, cognitive disruption, and loss of functional skills. Despite growing interest, the incremental contribution of psychosocial and structural factors alongside established individual-level predictors has not previously been examined in a multivariate framework.We conducted an exploratory cross-sectional study with 117 French-speaking autistic adults. An online survey included validated measures of burnout severity (ABSI-Fr), camouflaging (CAT-Q), executive functioning (BRIEF-A), autistic traits (RAADS-R), anxiety (GAD-7), and depression (PHQ-9), alongside an adapted risk factor questionnaire in which participants rated potential contributors to their burnout experience. Exploratory factor analysis identified latent dimensions of perceived risk, and hierarchical linear regression (n = 113) examined their incremental contribution above and beyond individual-level predictors.Five latent risk dimensions were identified: Expectations-Resources Mismatch, Unaccommodating Neurotypical Systems, Sensory Overload, Task Interruption, and Self-Regulation Difficulties. Individual-level predictors collectively explained 47.7% of variance in burnout severity; structural factors contributed an additional 9.8%, for a total of 57.5% (adjusted R² =.534). Camouflaging and executive functioning independently predicted burnout severity across model specifications. The predictive contribution of autistic trait severity was substantially attenuated once structural predictors were included, consistent with a person-environment fit account. Among structural dimensions, Expectations-Resources Mismatch was the sole robust independent predictor, suggesting that the chronic mismatch between environmental demands and available resources constitutes a meaningful and structurally addressable contributor to burnout severity.These findings support framing autistic burnout as the cumulative outcome of sustained adaptation to non-accommodating environments rather than a personal deficit, and highlight the importance of incorporating structural variables into quantitative models of burnout risk.
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