Burnout as experienced by autistic people: A systematic review

‘Autistic burnout’ is described as a debilitating state of exhaustion experienced by autistic people due to living in a world that often lacks accommodations and understanding of their needs. This systematic review thematically synthesised research on how autistic people understand and experience burnout. We reviewed 48 studies (30 qualitative, seven quantitative, and 11 mixed methods), which included approximately 4000 autistic people, predominantly featuring White, female, late-diagnosed autistic adults with at least average intellectual and/or verbal abilities. Our findings suggest that burnout, as experienced by these autistic people, consisted of debilitating exhaustion and increased disability, which could be chronic with intermittent crises. Sensory and social overwhelm, camouflaging, ignorance and stigma, everyday life challenges, and alexithymia contributed to burnout. Burnout held negative consequences for health and well-being, community involvement, and maintaining hope for the future. Having a more accurate framework for self-understanding, meeting the needs for rest, solitude, and sensory relief, and having individual and community support helped with recovery. Addressing burnout effectively will require individual coping strategies, clinical recognition, and broader societal awareness and acceptance of supporting diverse needs and ways of being. Future research should investigate burnout and its associated factors in more representative autistic samples.