Some unacceptable statistics

The following statistics are not something that anyone wants to hear, especially if you are autistic or care for someone who is. They are out there in the public domain though and I feel they are totally unacceptable. Change often only happens through raising awareness levels and that's why I'm putting some of this information into my blog this time around.  

Officially diagnosed autistic people make up approximately 1% of the population but 11% of suicides. Those statistics are difficult to read but even more disturbing is a recent report which indicates that 66% of autistic adults have seriously considered suicide with 35% of them actually planning their attempt.[1] It's a sad set of statistics and something that was acknowledged as a "national crisis" by the "Royal College of Psychiatrists". [2]

In general life expectancy is lower for autistic people. With the average global life expectancy at approximately 72 years old this drops significantly for autistic people with the average life expectancy estimates ranging from just 39.5 years to 58 years. [3]

There has been some research [4] into the causes of early deaths in autism and the top three are as follows...

1. Epilepsy
2. Suicide
3. Heart problems and cancer.

Conditions of comorbidity such as epilepsy and heart conditions are out of scope for this short blog post so the focus here is on number two. Why is suicide the second most common cause of death for people diagnosed as autistic? Ignoring these stats, burying your head in the sand or not discussing and being aware of them is part of the problem that causes them. People should be able to discuss their mental health freely and this is changing slowly, too slowly.

It's interesting to note that current research shows the groups who are at higher risk are those diagnosed as being autistic without any learning or intellectual disabilities and that females are at a greater risk than males. Factors leading to suicidal thoughts include elements such as masking, alexithymia, repetitive behaviours and loneliness. All of which are more present in those with higher intellectual ability.

Masking, also known as camouflaging, is a major contributor. Masking is the process of hiding autistic traits in order to appear more neurotypical or to "fit in". Masking can be beneficial in some situations and there are people who use it positively. For most autistic people masking is exhausting and leads to burn out and further isolation. Suppressing your true self through masking is also commonly thought to be detrimental to your mental health and a contributor to mental health issues.

Masking is a vast topic and I'll be writing much more about the various issues masking causes, some of the benefits of unmasking and how to unmask safely in a future blog post. The problems masking causes to mental health are explored further in an interesting report... "Autistic Adults’ Experiences of Camouflaging and Its Perceived Impact on Mental Health". [5]

Another contributory factor is Alexithymia. The inability to recognise, identify and describe emotions in yourself or others. This lack of emotional self awareness can cause problems with getting help as autistic people with Alexithymia cannot always notice the emotional trouble they are in. [6] 

Repetitive behaviours can also be linked with self harm and a spiralling of self harming thoughts. Sometimes self harm comes as an extension to stimming or as a distraction from repetitive or intrusive thoughts. [7]

All of the above are made worse by a reduced social network and social anxiety. Lots of autistic people like to be alone yet at the same time suffer dreadfully with loneliness. Autistic people don't always have the same level of support network or if they do they can struggle to access it and end up alone with their thoughts.

I have to end this blog post by saying if you are having suicidal thoughts please do talk to someone about how you are feeling.

Talking about how you are feeling with a friend, family member or someone else you trust may help. Your  doctor may also be a great first step. If you prefer a more anonymous route then you can speak to someone in confidence. For the Samaritans you can call 116 123.

Further Reading...

[1] Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger's syndrome
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(14)70248-2/fulltext

[2] Suicide and Autism, a National Crisis
https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/nccmh/suicide-prevention/workshops-(wave-4)/wave-4-workshop-2/suicide-and-autism---slides.pdf

[3] What to Know About Autism and Life Expectancy
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-to-know-about-autism-and-lower-life-expectancy-6748941

[4] People with autism run a higher risk of premature death
https://news.ki.se/people-with-autism-run-a-higher-risk-of-premature-death

[5] Autistic Adults’ Experiences of Camouflaging and Its Perceived Impact on Mental Health
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/aut.2020.0071

[6] Suicidality in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Depressive Symptomatology, Alexithymia, and Antidepressants
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-020-04433-3

[7] Self-harm and autism
https://www.autistica.org.uk/what-is-autism/anxiety-and-autism-hub/self-harm-and-autism