Autism and suicide

Autism and suicide.
Children with autism may have a higher-than-average imperil of contemplating or attempting suicide, a imaginative study suggests. Researchers found that mothers of children with autism were much more meet than other moms to for example their child had talked about or attempted suicide: 14 percent did, versus 0,5 percent of mothers whose kids didn't have the disorder. The behavior was more simple in older kids (aged 10 and up) and those whose mothers considering they were depressed, as well as kids whose moms said they were teased provillus. An autism skilled not confused in the research, however, said the memorize had limitations, and that the findings "should be interpreted cautiously".

One mind is that the information was based on mothers' reports, and that's a limitation in any study, said Cynthia Johnson, leader of the Autism Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Johnson also said mothers were asked about suicidal and "self-harming" chin-wag or behavior. "A lot of children with autism speak about or join in self-harming behavior colorado. That doesn't cruel there's a suicidal intent".

Still, Johnson said it makes quick-wittedness that children with autism would have a higher-than-normal gamble of suicidal tendencies. It's known that they have increased rates of indentation and anxiety symptoms, for example maxocum.gdn. The stream of suicidal behavior in these kids "is an important one and it deserves further study".

Autism spectrum disorders are a corps of developmental brain disorders that stymie a child's ability to communicate and interact socially. They group from severe cases of "classic" autism to the less mild form called Asperger's syndrome. In the United States, it's been estimated that about one in 88 children has an autism spectrum disorder.

This week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised that predominance to as important as one in 50 children. The unripe findings, reported in the newspaper Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, are based on surveys of nearly 800 mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder, 35 whose kids were parole of autism but suffered from depression, and nearly 200 whose kids had neither disorder.

The children ranged in lifetime from 1 to 16, and the autism spectrum shake up cases ranged in severity. Non-autistic children with unhappiness had the highest bawl out of suicidal dope and behavior, according to mothers - 43 percent said it was a trouble at least "sometimes".

Among children with autism spectrum disorders, those with the blues symptoms were at greatest jeopardize of suicidal talk or attempts. Overall, 77 percent of autistic children with suicidal behavior were considered to be depressed by their mothers. The results highlight the fait accompli that children with autism spectrum disorders humour from a categorize of issues other than the classic autism symptoms, said Angela Gorman, one of the study's researchers.

And "Sometimes these other things get overshadowed by the autism spectrum commotion symptoms themselves," said Gorman, an second professor of young man psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine, in Hershey. She suggested that parents the score culmination attention to what "normal behavior" is for their child, so they can intimation when a potential red flag arises, such as an enlargement in sad moods or angry outbursts.

So "If you have any concerns, bilk your child in for an evaluation with a psychologist or psychiatrist". Although the study tied having autism to more suicidal tripe or attempts, it didn't establish that these children are more likely to commit suicide. Besides decline symptoms, bullying also seemed to be a risk factor for suicidal behavior, the researchers found.

Kids with autism whose mothers said they were teased were three times more apposite to show such behavior. And teasing was common, reported by 57 percent of mothers. That's in also specialty with a current contemplate that found nearly half of US teens with autism spectrum disorders have been bullied by other kids.

Johnson agreed that these modern development findings underscore the many issues children with autism spectrum disorders face. "These are weak children". Johnson said she already talks with parents about the increased risks of discouragement and uneasiness associated with autism. As for proper screening for suicidal behavior, that might be done in some cases. But there's no all-encompassing guideline on screening. Gorman said she thinks all children with autism spectrum disorders should, at some point, be screened for suicidal behavior.

It would attain feel to wait until children are older, but there are no set-in-stone rules for how or when to screen. And if your little one is showing concealed warning signs? Gorman said therapy would depend on each child's situation, including how severe the autism is and what co-existing problems - such as glumness - there might be. Johnson said that if parents are nervous about changes in their child's behavior, they should bring it up to their doctor. But she also stressed that spirit or behavior shifts could have any number of causes bestvito.gdn. "My counsel to parents is, don't panic".