Abstract
Thunberg’s increased media attention coupled with her diagnosis—Asperger Syndrome (AS)—may foster help-seeking behaviors among those with similar psychiatric disorders. Using Google Trends data, we compared values of AS from the week of the UN Climate Summit through the end of the year compared to an ARIMA model predicting search interest had Thunberg not been in the media. The search trend for AS at peak was 254.07% higher than predicted and was on average 10.61 points above the projected model during this time. As the primary goal of AS intervention focuses on improving quality of life and preventing common comorbidities such as depression and anxiety, capitalizing on increased public interest in AS and help-seeking behaviors is imperative.
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Matt Vassar is funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Research Integrity and the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology.
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MH had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. MH and AK developed the study concept and design. MH and TT developed the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data. MH, AK, SC, TC, TT developed the drafting of the manuscript. MV, SC, and TC critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. MH developed the statistical analysis. MV developed the administrative, technical, or material support. MH and MV developed the study supervision.
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Hartwell, M., Keener, A., Coffey, S. et al. Brief Report: Public Awareness of Asperger Syndrome Following Greta Thunberg Appearances. J Autism Dev Disord 51, 2104–2108 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04651-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04651-9