Being an Asperger mean you have way higher chance to commit suicide

[czx85]

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

 

[tree]

Spoiler: The 7 paragraph article

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.

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

 

[Tom]

Just noting it says more likely to have suicidal thoughts. It does not give the difference in rate of actual suicides.

 

[Nervous Rex]

Just noting it says more likely to have suicidal thoughts. It does not give the difference in rate of actual suicides.

From Suicide in a Statewide Autism Population | Suicide Prevention Resource Center (I added the emphasis):
Between 2013 and 2017, Utah’s suicide rate was significantly higher among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) than in the non-ASD population. Females with ASD were three times more likely to die by suicide than females without ASD.

Researchers in Utah compared suicide death rates in ASD and non-ASD populations over a 20-year period. Using a variety of data sources, researchers collected information on people who died by suicide, including demographics, ASD status, and circumstances surrounding their death.

In total, the researchers found 49 individuals with ASD who died by suicide. In the first 15 years of the study period (1998 to 2012), the researchers found no difference in suicide rates between ASD and non-ASD populations. In more recent years (2013 to 2017), the ASD population had a significantly higher incidence of suicide death than the non-ASD population. This difference was particularly pronounced for females. People with ASD who died by suicide were significantly less likely than those without ASD to use firearms as a method of suicide.

This study was the first to examine the incidence of suicide death in a population-based sample of individuals with and without ASD in the U.S. It may be hard for coroners and medical examiners to determine intent in classifying suicide deaths for individuals with developmental disabilities, such as ASD. That means suicide rates in this population may be underreported. Additional research is needed to help clarify the unique needs of individuals with ASD related to suicide risk.

 

[Bolletje]

I have Aspergers and bipolar disorder. I’m a walking talking suicide risk.

 

[Sarah S]

Been sucidal since i was a little kid (recently upgraded to SEVERE )