Occurrence and predictors of lifetime suicidality and suicidal ideation in autistic adults.
J van Bentum, M Sijbrandij, M Huibers and 1 others
PMID 38340029WHAT IT FOUND
Among 1164 autistic adults, 80% reported lifetime suicidal thoughts or attempts; among 421 who completed more items, half had thoughts in the past month.
Loneliness, psychiatric comorbidity, and more autistic traits were associated with lifetime suicidal behavior.
Key findings
01In the initial sample of 1164 autistic adults, 80% reported having thought about or attempted suicide in their lifetime; in the final sample of 421, 50.3% reported suicidal thoughts in the past month.
02In the predictor analysis for lifetime suicidal behavior, 244 participants were included, and number of autistic traits, loneliness, and psychiatric comorbidity were significant predictors.
03In the predictor analysis for suicidal thoughts in the past month, number of autistic traits and psychiatric comorbidity were significant predictors.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The design was cross-sectional, so it can show associations but not prove that loneliness, psychiatric comorbidity, or autistic traits cause suicide. The sample was not representative: the register included relatively more highly educated individuals and more females, and self-report may have underrepresented people with limited literacy. Suicide questions were optional, which may have overrepresented participants willing to disclose suicidal experiences. Only 244 participants were included in the predictor analyses after missing values were excluded, and selection bias may have occurred. The Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire was not validated for autistic adults. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected loneliness levels.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and said they received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication, while the funding section names ZonMw and the H2020 European Research Council.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read loneliness, psychiatric comorbidity, or autistic traits as proven causes of suicide. This was a cross-sectional self-report survey of a selected online register, and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire was not validated for autistic adults.