The Link Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Suicide

9
Mar 2022
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puzzle jigsaw heart on brain, mental health concept, world autism awareness day

A new British study has shed more light on the elevated risk of death by suicide among people on the autism spectrum.

The study, first published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, found that 10% of people who died by suicide in the United Kingdom had evidence of likely undiagnosed autism. That is 11 times higher than the rate of autism in the UK.

The results of the British study are in line with previous research on the link between autism and suicide. Last year, a Danish study found that individuals with diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had more than three times the risk of suicide attempts and suicide completion compared to the general population. And a meta-analysis conducted by Columbia University and University of Colorado researchers concluded that children and adults with ASD had more than three times the risk of self-harm and a substantially increased risk for suicidality.

“The findings from our systematic review and meta-analysis underscore the need for targeted interventions to reduce the risk of self-harm in people with autism,” said a co-author of the latter study, Dr. Ashley Blanchard, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Within the autistic population, a Swedish study found that death by suicide is more common among individuals with mild autism than severe autism. The same study also found that autistic women are at greater risk than autistic men – notably, this is the reverse of the gender breakdown of suicides in the general population.

Why are people on the autism spectrum at elevated risk of suicide?

Among the heaviest emotional burdens carried by many people on the spectrum, especially women, is “camouflaging;” that is, making constant and elaborate effort to hide the signs of autism. A 2021 study found that camouflaging comes with a significant cost: physical exhaustion, anxiety, depression, and erosion of the sense of identity.

People on the autism spectrum may grow up being bullied or isolated socially, and the pain of those experiences can build up over time. Studies have also shown a connection between unmet support needs and suicidality in autistic people. This is a widespread problem: according to the National Institutes of Health, the majority of autistic adults have unmet needs for functional skills services, employment or vocation services, and mental and behavioral health services.

One of the key warning signs of suicide risk is feeling “trapped,” like there is no way out of an overwhelming situation. As the American Association of Suicidology notes, autistic people often have some cognitive inflexibility, meaning they can easily get stuck in a negative thought pattern and have difficulty considering alternatives.

Recognizing suicide warning signs in people on the autism spectrum can be difficult

Autism spectrum disorder affects perception, social interaction, communication, and patterns of behavior. One consequence of ASD is that the warning signs of suicidality may present differently in someone with ASD compared to a neurotypical person.

Much more research is needed to identify the warning signs of suicidality in people on the autism spectrum and develop screening methods and interventions that meet the unique needs of autistic people. For instance, people on the spectrum may not answer standard suicide screening questions as readily as others, or their answers may require more interpretation to assess the true risk of suicide. As an important step forward, the American Association of Suicidology recently released resources on its website for autistic people in crisis.

It’s also clear that the people who know an autistic person best – parents, siblings, partners, and close friends – are best-positioned to recognize that something may be wrong. Medical and mental health professionals need to listen to those voices and take suicide warning signs seriously. We know that people on the autism spectrum carry a high degree of suicide risk, and the healthcare system needs to respond accordingly to mitigate that risk.

Victims’ families may have legal recourse

Additional research and suicide prevention resources for people on the autism spectrum are sorely needed because far too many autistic lives are cut short by suicide. The Law Offices of Skip Simpson has the experience and knowledge to investigate the circumstances of suicide and advise families on how to proceed during an extraordinarily difficult time. Our law firm is based in Texas, but we serve clients nationwide. If you have lost a loved one to suicide completion, contact attorney Skip Simpson today.

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