Diagnose fast to cut autism suicide risk - report

Faster diagnosis and tailored mental health support is needed to help prevent suicides among people with autism, a report has found.

The study led by Bournemouth University analysed more than 4,000 responses from autistic people who had thoughts of suicide, as well as from people who have been bereaved.

The report concluded that autistic people who were not diagnosed in childhood needed to be "assessed accurately, quickly and with sensitive post-diagnostic care".

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.

Previous studies have shown that autistic people are three times more likely to die by suicide than non-autistic people, while almost one in four autistic people will attempt suicide in their lifetime, compared with one in 37 non-autistic people.

Researchers, led by Dr Rachel Moseley, aimed to identify the priorities of autistic people to help reduce the number who think about and attempt suicide.

She said: "As an autistic person, I have experienced what it means to feel like an NHS 'treatment failure' long before knowing I was autistic.

"I would not be here today if my family had not saved my life many times."

Dr Moseley's previous research identified the major driving factors behind a higher suicide risk included stigma faced by autistic people and being missed for diagnosis in childhood.

"Negative encounters in healthcare" also emerged as contributing to suicide risk.

"A major theme from participants was the need to improve autism diagnostic services, ensuring that autistic people not diagnosed in childhood are assessed accurately, quickly and with sensitive post-diagnostic care," Dr Mosley said.

The report also called for inequalities faced by autistic people in education, employment and healthcare to be tackled.

It said "appropriate support in the community" was needed to improve inclusion of autistic people within society.

Last month Health Secretary Wes Streeting admitted the NHS was "falling short" on meeting demand for adult autism and ADHD diagnosis.

Streeting launched an independent review last year into rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services in England.

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