Assessing Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Autistic and Non-Autistic Early Adolescents Using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale
Schwartzman, Muscatello and Corbet (2023)
Content Warning: Suicidal thoughts, suicide and self-harm
Autistic adolescents are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and behaviours and non-suicidal self-injury. This study used the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale was used to explore suicidal thoughts, behaviours and non-suicidal self-injury in 239 adolescents (aged between 10 and 13 years old) of which 138 were Autistic. The authors tested for both Autism diagnosis and sex-based differences in the data. The results showed that 23.9% of Autistic youth reported lifetime suicidal ideation compared to 6.9% of non-Autistic youth. They also showed higher levels of non-suicidal self-injury than their non-Autistic peers. Notably there was no difference based on gender. The authors suggest that Autistic youths have a significant risk for suicidal thoughts, behaviours and non-suicidal self-injury, and that the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale may be a useful measure however it may not detect all Autistic youths experiencing suicidal thoughts.
