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A new study has highlighted the link between suicide prevention and the importance of timely autism diagnosis and post-diagnostic care.
Previous studies have shown that autistic people are three times more likely to die by suicide than non-autistic people, while almost one in four autistic people will attempt suicide in their lifetime, compared with one in 37 non-autistic people.
The new research by Bournemouth University (BU), which was published in Autism in Adulthood, analysed more than 4,000 responses from autistic people who have had thoughts of suicide, or people who have been bereaved by the death of someone with autism.
It identified what autistic people and their allies thought were the most important priorities to reduce the number of autistic people who think about and attempt suicide.
The authors say these ideas will help shape new policies and improve future diagnosis, crisis support, and follow-up services in the community. They are now calling on the government to commit to faster diagnosis and tailored mental health support.
Suicide risk and cracks in the system
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Dr Rachel Moseley, Principal Academic in Psychology at BU and lead of the study, said: “As an autistic person, I have experienced what it means to feel like an NHS ‘treatment failure’ long before knowing I was autistic. I would not be here today if my family had not saved my life many times.
“A major theme from participants was the need to improve autism diagnostic services, ensuring that autistic people not diagnosed in childhood are assessed accurately, quickly and with sensitive post-diagnostic care.”
Previous research by Dr Moseley and colleagues identified the major driving factors behind this higher suicide risk: “cracks in the system”, which include societal inequalities and stigma faced by autistic people and being missed for autism diagnosis in childhood. Negative encounters in healthcare also emerged as contributing to suicide risk.
Other priorities identified in the new research include tackling the inequalities faced by autistic people in education, employment and healthcare, improving inclusion of autistic people within society, and autism-specific support for people in crisis.
The work was carried out in collaboration with the University of Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre and charity Autism Action.
