Suicidal Ideation, Plans, and Attempts in Adults with Asperger Syndrome

Depression commonly occurs in patients with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual impairment (what was called Asperger syndrome in DSM-IV), but data on suicidality in these patients have been limited. In the current study involving 374 adults with this diagnosis, researchers evaluated responses to three pertinent questions from a mailed-in screening questionnaire given before the initial visit between 2004 and 2013 at a U.K. clinic specializing in adult Asperger diagnoses.

On the questionnaire, 66% of patients self-reported lifetime suicidal ideation, 35% self-reported “plans or attempts,” and 32% reported a history of depression. The rate of suicidal ideation was higher than lifetime rates in the U.K. population and in some studies …