Jan 14, 2021
Denmark study identifies psychiatric comorbidities as major contributor
A retrospective cohort study from Denmark found that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had a higher rate of suicide and suicide attempts than those without ASD and psychiatric comorbidities were a major contributing factor, researchers found.
Several factors associated with suicidal behavior, such as lack of social integration, unemployment, and psychiatric disorders, are also strongly associated with ASD in adults, Kairi Kõlves, PhD, of the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention at the Griffith University Mt Gravatt Campus in Mt Gravatt, Australia, and colleagues wrote in
JAMA Network Open. However, while a recent population-based case-cohort study from Sweden showed an increased risk for suicidal behavior among those with ASD, “It has yet to be determined what factors are associated with suicidal behavior in people with ASD and whether they differ from the
Three major studies making major differences Although healthcare providers generally know the signs of autism in toddlers, the typical child with autism in the U.S. doesn’t receive a diagnosis until age during the family’s search for answers; some are never diagnosed. Many of these children miss opportunities for intervention during the most sensitive period of brain development.
In studies published over the last year, BYU’s interdisciplinary research group Autism Connect has outlined ways to change these norms by improving the accuracy, timeliness and helpfulness of autism diagnoses. Here are just a few of their contributions.
Award-winning study identifies gaps in autism screening
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) carry a higher risk for suicide, a Danish study found.
A nationwide cohort study of over 35,000 individuals with autism found a more than three-fold higher rate of both suicide attempt (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 3.19, 95% CI 2.93-3.46) and suicide (aIRR 3.75, 95% CI 2.85-4.92) compared with people without autism, reported Kairi Kõlves, PhD, of Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues in
Although higher rates of suicide attempt were noted across all age groups, women with autism appeared to be disproportionately affected, with a more than four-fold higher rate of suicide attempt compared with men (aIRR 4.41, 95% CI 3.74-5.19).