New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Adults with Asperger syndrome at significantly higher risk of suicidal thoughts than general population

Date:
June 24, 2014
Source:
The Lancet
Summary:
Adults with the autism spectrum condition known as Asperger Syndrome are nine times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts than people from the general population, according to the first large-scale clinical study of its kind. Autism spectrum conditions are a group of developmental brain conditions that cause difficulties in communication and social interaction, alongside the presence of unusually narrow interests and difficulties in adapting to change. In Asperger Syndrome, people show the key symptoms but without delayed language or intellectual disability.
Share:
FULL STORY

Adults with the autism spectrum condition known as Asperger Syndrome are nine times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts than people from the UK general population, according to the first large-scale clinical study of its kind, published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

The study surveyed 374 individuals (256 men and 118 women) diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome as adults between 2004 and 2013 at the Cambridge Lifetime Asperger Syndrome Service (CLASS) clinic in Cambridge UK. It revealed a significantly higher rate of suicidal ideation among adults with Asperger Syndrome (66%), compared with the rate found in the general population (17%), and patients with psychosis (59%) taken from other data sources.

The research, led by Dr Sarah Cassidy and Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, from the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, and the CLASS clinic in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), found that two-thirds (66%) of adults with Asperger Syndrome had contemplated suicide and a third (35%) had planned or attempted suicide during their lifetime. Suicidal thoughts and behaviours were significantly more common in adults with Asperger Syndrome and a history of depression.

Among adults with Asperger Syndrome, those with depression were four times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, and twice as likely to plan or attempt suicide, compared to individuals with Asperger Syndrome but without a history of depression. A second risk factor for suicide plans or attempts was a higher level of autistic traits.

"Our findings confirm anecdotal reports that adults with Asperger Syndrome have a significantly higher risk of suicide in comparison to other clinical groups, and that depression is a key risk factor in this," said Dr Cassidy.

According to Professor Baron-Cohen, "Adults with Asperger Syndrome often suffer with secondary depression due to social isolation, loneliness, social exclusion, lack of community services, under-achievement, and unemployment. Their depression and risk of suicide are preventable with the appropriate support. This study should be a wake-up call for the urgent need for high quality services, to prevent the tragic waste of even a single life. "

Autism spectrum conditions are a group of developmental brain conditions that cause difficulties in communication and social interaction, alongside the presence of unusually narrow interests and difficulties in adapting to change. In Asperger Syndrome, people show the key symptoms but without delayed language or intellectual disability. In the UK, one in 100 people (around 700,000) has an autism spectrum condition.


Story Source:

Materials provided by The Lancet. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Sarah Cassidy, Paul Bradley, Janine Robinson, Carrie Allison, Meghan McHugh, Simon Baron-Cohen. Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger's syndrome attending a specialist diagnostic clinic: a clinical cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(14)70248-2

Cite This Page:

The Lancet. "Adults with Asperger syndrome at significantly higher risk of suicidal thoughts than general population." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 June 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140624215940.htm>.
The Lancet. (2014, June 24). Adults with Asperger syndrome at significantly higher risk of suicidal thoughts than general population. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140624215940.htm
The Lancet. "Adults with Asperger syndrome at significantly higher risk of suicidal thoughts than general population." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140624215940.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES