Autism and suicide

Autism and suicide.
Children with autism may have a higher-than-average peril of contemplating or attempting suicide, a creative swotting suggests. Researchers found that mothers of children with autism were much more conceivable than other moms to for instance 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 regular in older kids (aged 10 and up) and those whose mothers vision they were depressed, as well as kids whose moms said they were teased vito mol. An autism excellent not convoluted in the research, however, said the about had limitations, and that the findings "should be interpreted cautiously".

One sanity is that the low-down was based on mothers' reports, and that's a limitation in any study, said Cynthia Johnson, administrator of the Autism Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Johnson also said mothers were asked about suicidal and "self-harming" come clean or behavior. "A lot of children with autism sermon about or clash with in self-harming behavior," she said sildenafilrx. "That doesn't miserable there's a suicidal intent".

Still, Johnson said it makes be under the impression that that children with autism would have a higher-than-normal danger of suicidal tendencies. It's known that they have increased rates of indentation and desire symptoms, for example reviews. The printing of suicidal behavior in these kids "is an superior one," Johnson said, "and it deserves further study".

Autism spectrum disorders are a assembly of developmental intellectual disorders that baulk a child's capacity to en rapport and interact socially. They kind from grim cases of "classic" autism to the more 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 currency to as favourable as one in 50 children. The unknown findings, reported in the record book Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, are based on surveys of nearly 800 mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder, 35 whose kids were sovereign of autism but suffered from depression, and nearly 200 whose kids had neither disorder.

The children ranged in ripen from 1 to 16, and the autism spectrum fracas cases ranged in severity. Non-autistic children with the dumps had the highest grade of suicidal poppycock and behavior, according to mothers - 43 percent said it was a enigma at least "sometimes".

Among children with autism spectrum disorders, those with dejection symptoms were at greatest jeopardy of suicidal nonsense or attempts. Overall, 77 percent of autistic children with suicidal behavior were considered to be depressed by their mothers. The results highlight the happening that children with autism spectrum disorders diminish from a line up of issues other than the enduring autism symptoms, said Angela Gorman, one of the study's researchers.

And "Sometimes these other things get overshadowed by the autism spectrum unrest symptoms themselves," said Gorman, an aide professor of infant psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine, in Hershey. She suggested that parents make amends reticent notice to what "normal behavior" is for their child, so they can perceive when a embryonic red identify arises, such as an multiplication in dreary moods or furious outbursts.

So "If you have any concerns, memo your juvenile in for an evaluation with a psychologist or psychiatrist," Gorman said. Although the go into tied having autism to more suicidal squeal or attempts, it didn't check that these children are more like as not to commit icide. Besides depression symptoms, bullying also seemed to be a imperil factor for suicidal behavior, the researchers found.

Kids with autism whose mothers said they were teased were three times more odds-on to show such behavior. And teasing was common, reported by 57 percent of mothers. That's in hawser with a up to date observe that found nearly half of US teens with autism spectrum disorders have been bullied by other kids.

Johnson agreed that these up-to-date findings underscore the many issues children with autism spectrum disorders face. "These are unshielded children," she said. Johnson said she already talks with parents about the increased risks of downheartedness and longing associated with autism. As for spelled out screening for suicidal behavior, that might be done in some cases, she said. But there's no limitless guideline on screening. Gorman said she thinks all children with autism spectrum disorders should, at some point, be screened for suicidal behavior.

It would sanction sense, she said, to be put on ice until children are older, but there are no set-in-stone rules for how or when to screen. And if your toddler is showing likely notice signs? Gorman said psychotherapy would depend on each child's situation, including how unfeeling the autism is and what co-existing problems - such as dent - there might be. Johnson said that if parents are upset about changes in their child's behavior, they should report it up to their doctor. But she also stressed that spirit or behavior shifts could have any million of causes box 4 rx. "My suggestion to parents is, don't panic," she said.