Patients with autism spectrum disorder are nearly three times more likely to die by suicide, with those without intellectual disability facing more than five times the risk compared to non-autistic patients, according to a new study.

The recent systematic review and meta-analysis reported a higher suicide risk among patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study, which analyzed data from over 10 million patients, found that patients with ASD were nearly three times more likely to die by suicide than their non-autistic counterparts, with a pooled relative risk (RR) of 2.85 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 2.05–4.03).

Notably, patients with ASD but without intellectual disability face a more than fivefold increased risk of suicide (RR = 5.04, 95% UI: 3.57–7.07). Additionally, females with ASD have a higher risk of suicide compared to their non-autistic counterparts, with a RR of 3.85 (95% UI: 2.71–5.40), compared to 2.13 (95% UI: 1.54–3.01) for males.

In 2021, an estimated 13,400 excess suicide deaths occurred globally among patients with ASD, representing 1.8% of all suicide deaths. The study, published in Psychiatry Research, also estimated that suicide among patients with ASD resulted in 621,000 years of life lost (YLL) globally, equating to 7.9 YLLs per 100,000 people or 1,003.3 YLLs per 100,000 patients with ASD.

Researchers emphasize the potential for targeted suicide prevention strategies, particularly for those without intellectual disability, to significantly reduce global suicide mortality among this population.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest, and the study was funded by the Queensland Government, Suicide Prevention Australia, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.