Abstract
<h3>Research Objectives</h3> To explore how youth and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) cope with stress and anxiety (i.e., normal/typical anxiety) in competitive employment. <h3>Design</h3> An interpretative phenomenological approach involving in-depth interviews. <h3>Setting</h3> Due to the impact of COVID-19, all interviews took place remotely over the phone or through Zoom Communications. Participants were recruited across Canada. <h3>Participants</h3> A purposive sample of 12 youth and young adults with ASD aged 15-30 who were employed or had work experience participated in this study. <h3>Interventions</h3> Not applicable. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> Semi-structured interviews with participants. <h3>Results</h3> Findings indicated that stress and/or anxiety inducers for participants in the workplace included: challenges with social communication at work, tasks at work, impact of COVID-19 on employment experiences, past trauma/experiences impacting ability to work, and personal experiences with disability disclosure. Participants reported using the following coping strategies to combat work-related stress and/or anxiety: (1) problem-focused (i.e., finding ways to solve issues at hand), (2) emotion-focused (i.e., using strategies to reduce negative feelings and emotions), and/or (3) resilience (i.e., pushing through the situation despite feeling stressed and/or anxious). Participants also identified workplace barriers and facilitators, which may impact future occurrences of stress or anxiety. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Uncovering stress and/or anxiety inducers in a workplace setting can help employers be better informed of the potential barriers that are present for employees with ASD, which can lead to better inclusion on the job. The findings from this study have the potential to improve employment outcomes, transition skills, and overall mental health among youth and young adults with ASD in competitive employment. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> None.
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