Overview

• The University of Cambridge and Bournemouth University surveyed nearly 1,400 autistic people in research published in Autism in Adulthood, after the project was instigated by the charity Autism Action.
• Participants rated loneliness, hopelessness, feelings of worthlessness and mental illness as key drivers of suicidal thoughts, while those with plans or attempts pointed to bullying, past trauma and difficulty accessing help.
• Almost 40% of respondents reported having attempted suicide, often more than once, aligning with prior evidence that about one in four autistic people without learning disabilities attempt suicide versus roughly one in 37 in the general population.
• Nearly two-thirds of participants had a formal diagnosis, with responses spanning cisgender men, cisgender women and gender-divergent people, and the study reports that autistic women and gender minorities were over-represented among those struggling to access support.
• The release coincided with a LeDeR review of 127 deaths in England that most often recorded suicide, misadventure or accidental death, though it may not be representative; the Department of Health and Social Care cited expanded assessment services, mandatory NHS autism training, £688 million for mental health and 6,700 additional mental health workers.