Rates of suicide 'worrying' among people with autism, say experts
Writing ahead of a world-first international summit on suicidality in autism, the researchers -- from Coventry and Newcastle universities -- say the issue remains poorly understood and that action is urgently needed to help those most at risk. Dr Sarah Cassidy from Coventry University cites a clinical study she led in 2014 -- also published in the Lancet Psychiatry -- in which 66% of adults newly diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) reported having contemplated suicide. In the same study -- which remains the most recent clinical research into suicidality in autism -- 35% of the 365 respondents newly diagnosed with AS said they had planned or attempted to end their own life, with 31% reporting that they suffered depression. A 2016 population study in Sweden also concluded that suicide is a leading cause of premature death in people with autism spectrum disorder. Dr Cassidy from Coventry University's Centre for Research in Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement said,...