Adults with Asperger Syndrome More Likely to Have Suicidal Thoughts

[Retired]

Adults with Asperger Syndrome More Likely to Have Suicidal Thoughts
Autism Daily Newscast
June 26, 2014

A study published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that adults with Asperger Syndrome were nine times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than individuals without the diagnosis. The research was 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 and Trust (CPFT).

The study surveyed 374 adults (256 men and 118 women) who were diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. Of these, 243 individuals (66%) reported having suicidal ideation, 127 (35%) reported planning or attempting suicide, and 116 (31%) indicated that they’d been depressed. These numbers indicate a prevalence of suicidal ideation among individuals diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome that is nine times higher than that of individuals from the general U.K. population (17%), based on comparison samples from the general population through searches of Medline, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. They also demonstrated a higher rate of suicidal thoughts than patients with psychosis (59%)

The study also found that individuals who were diagnosed with both Asperger Syndrome and depression were four times more likely to have suicidal thoughts, and twice as likely to plan or attempt suicide, than individuals without a history of depression. The results also showed that individuals with a higher level of autistic traits were also more likely to have suffered from depression, and to have had suicidal ideation.

The researchers also found it interesting that a higher percentage of individuals reported suicidal thoughts than those who reported depression, suggesting the possibility that there may be a different process for suicidal ideation in Asperger’s Syndrome than for other clinical groups. Another possible explanation is that the respondents under-reported depression, due to difficulty with communicating regarding emotional states. Either way, it is clear that individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome are at a higher risk for depression and suicidal ideation.

Dr. Sarah Cassidy, one of the lead researchers on the project, said,

“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.”

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen said,

“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.”

Other experts in the United States were not surprised by the results. Dr. Melissa Nishawala of the Child Study Center at NYU Langone Medical Center, and Dr. Alexander Kolevzon, clinical director of the Seaver Autism Research Center at Mount Sinai Hospital, agreed with Professor Baron-Cohen’s call for higher-quality supports for individuals on the autism spectrum. Further research will likely confirm these findings.

A more in-depth analysis of these findings by our research analyst Paul Whiteley Ph.D. can be read in the following post.

 

[Retired]

Suicide ideation in adults with Asperger syndrome
by Paul Whiteley Ph.D.
Autism Daily Newscast
June 26, 2014

Two-thirds of adult participants newly diagnosed with Asperger syndrome have thought about suicide at some point during their life according to new research from Sarah Cassidy and colleagues* based at the University of Cambridge, UK. The authors added that a self-reported history of ever being diagnosed with depression also seemed to influence rates of suicide ideation or suicide plans / attempts.

Based on a study of nearly 400 adults attending a clinic specialising in the late (adult) diagnosis of Asperger syndrome, researchers analysed responses to various self-report questionnaires administered to patients prior to further clinical assessment. These questionnaires consisted of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a measure designed to gauge the level of ?cognitive-behavioural traits associated with autism?, and the Empathy Quotient ?that quantifies individual differences in empathy?. Additional questions on whether a person had ever been diagnosed with depression, or whether they had ever felt suicidal and if so, planned or attempted suicide were also asked. Information on suicide ideation was compared with similar general population information to give an idea of how prevalent such thoughts are.

Sixty-six percent of participants reported a ?lifetime experience of suicidal ideation?. Perhaps more worryingly, 35% of participants had a ?lifetime experience of planned or attempted suicide?. Ideation was up to 9 times more likely for people with Asperger syndrome than population controls. Only those diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with a drug dependency issue were more likely to report suicide ideation according to population control data.

The authors conclude that further investigations are required in this important area of autism research. They also noted some limitations to their study such as a reliance on self-report accounting for a history of depression (some people in their cohort may for example, have been depressed but not labelled as depressed nor sought a diagnosis) and the sample findings potentially only being relevant to those reaching adulthood ?without a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome?.

Suicide, whether thought about, attempted or completed, is a complicated process driven by a multitude of variables, often very individual to a person. Comorbid psychiatric issues such as depression and psychosis are known to elevate the risk of suicide, as is the issue of social exclusion / alienation. Many of these factors have been discussed in the research literature as being pertinent to some cases of autism. Alongside, there is also a growing recognition on a role for more biological factors also being potentially implicated in suicide or its influencing factors. The growing literature looking at vitamin D deficiency and depression for example, may provide some alternative avenues for exploration particularly in light of high levels of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency in cases of autism. Similarly, the literature on the use of lithium as a potential preventative aid to suicide in the presence of mood disorders may also offer some help for those at increased risk of such an outcome.

* Cassidy S. et al. Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger?s syndrome attending a specialist diagnostic clinic: a clinical cohort study. Lancet Psychiatry. 2014. June 25.

Read more about this study HERE