Social Network Types in Autistic Adults and Its Associations with Mastery, Quality of Life, and Autism Characteristics

Research shows heterogeneity in experiences of social contact and social networks in autistic adults. In this study, we aim to identify clusters of social support networks and investigate associations of clusters with mastery, quality of life, and autism characteristics. Autistic adults (N = 381; 45.7% female) aged between 30 and 90 years completed questionnaires on social support characteristics, mastery, autism characteristics, and quality of life. A two-step cluster analysis was used to identify clusters based on social support network items. The cluster analysis revealed three clusters: Cluster 1 (n = 238) with two or more close persons, sometimes including a romantic partner; Cluster 2 (n = 102) with solely a romantic partner as close person; and Cluster 3 (n = 41) without any close persons. Level of emotional support was the most important clustering indicator. People in Cluster 3 reported lower quality of life regarding social relationships and mastery, autism characteristics, and other quality of life scales were similar across clusters. Absence or presence of close persons significantly impacts quality of life regarding social relationships in autistic adults, which highlights the importance of addressing (satisfaction with) social support. In order to enhance quality of life, offering social network interventions to increase social support seems especially relevant for autistic people belonging to Cluster 3.