Saving the Spectrum: What to Know About Suicide Prevention

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. At a meeting I remember overhearing people talking about the increased rate of suicide in people on the autism spectrum. It was not a statistic I was aware of and it peaked my interest.

The Stats

As a system we know that those we support have a higher rate of psychiatric disorders than the general population. The most widely accepted statistic is anywhere from 30-35% of people with an intellectual disability will have a co-occurring psychiatric disorder. There are a ton of reasons that people within our system may be more susceptible to a mental health disorder. Some of those reasons may include loneliness, lack of control, higher rates of trauma, and possible neuro-developmental issues. This being said, why don’t we often think about the risk of suicidal ideation or attempts in people in our system?

A 2024 meta-analysis estimated that the relative risk of autistic people dying by suicide was 2.85x (times) higher than population comparisons. Furthermore, systematic reviews indicate that approximately 1-in-3 autistic individuals studied report suicidal ideation and between 15-25% of samples report suicide attempts or other suicide behavior. (https://afsp.org/autism-and-suicide/)

The Risks

How often do we hear, when supporting someone who is struggling, “It’s all behavioral”? Many times suicidality is not even a consideration. People on the autism spectrum have a full range of emotions. They just may not display these emotions in a typical fashion. Because of the characteristics of ASD, such as social problems and difficulty expressing feelings and emotions, it can be hard to determine if someone is in fact suicidal. The limited research that is available shows that people with a higher functioning form of ASD appear to be at the greatest risk for suicide. Particularly if that person also has a diagnosis of depression or another mood disorder.

What can I do?

It may be more challenging to determine if the person you are supporting is actually suicidal due to the lack of expression. So how might you notice?  Watching for signs such as changes in appetite, sleep changes, and/or lack of interest in usually preferred activities may be an indicator. In addition, talking to the person to clarify any concerns you may have can be invaluable.

It is also important to not dismiss someone when they tell you they are thinking of hurting themselves. Many times people believe this is just the person talking but suicide is never something we want to take lightly. When someone talks about hurting themselves and has a plan, we need to take them at their word. According to Autism Speaks there are a number of things we can consider to reduce the risk.

1. Pay attention
2. Talk about it
3. Prevent bullying
4. Reduce social isolation
5. Promote healthy lifestyles
6. Monitor medication side effects
7. Keep barriers on things that can be utilized to self-harm
8. Act quickly

Be supportive. Be an advocate. And above all show compassion towards those you support. You never know what is going on with a person internally. If you, or someone you support, has an Autism Spectrum diagnosis and is struggling with suicidal thoughts these resources may help:

• 988 Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/help-yourself/individuals-with-neurodivergence
• ASERT (Autism Services, Education, Resources, and Training) https://paautism.org/resource/be-well-think-well-suicide