This World Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September the aim is to show everyone that talking about difficult feelings, including suicidal thoughts, doesn’t have to be scary.
A recent poll by #WSPD found that only 45% of people feel comfortable talking to family and friends about suicidal thoughts, compared to 74% who said they feel comfortable talking about mental health.
One of the most profound books I have read about suicide was ‘When it is Darkest’ (O'Connor, 2021). I had the privilege of speaking to Professor Rory O’Connor on a zoom call not long after his book was published as I considered my next steps academically after my psych masters, and he helpfully guided me to explore my options.
The book brings together decades of his work on suicide prevention at the University of Glasgow and it sheds light on why suicide happens, what you can do to prevent it, and how important it is to have a safety plan for if or when you find yourself in that dark place.
Professor O’Connor says in his book that “one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. But sadly, for the most part, we are reluctant to talk about it. It’s one of the last remaining taboo’s”.
And whilst his work tells us that whilst one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds, one at-risk group that is still largely overlooked when it comes to this crisis is autistic people.
A number of research studies have been compiled and outlined in a plan ‘Meeting the needs of autistic adults in mental health services’ (NHS England, 2023) including the research of Dr Sarah Cassidy at The University of Nottingham which tells us that autistic people are “six times more likely to attempt death by suicide – and up to seven times more likely to die by suicide – compared to those who are not autistic.
This risk of death by suicide is even greater among autistic people without intellectual disabilities, and when we apply an intersectional lens the risks become even higher.
The greatest risk is actually among late discovered autistic women, who are “13 times more likely to die by suicide than women who are not autistic.”
However, there is also recognition that further research is needed to ensure a greater understanding of potential gender differences to include transgender and nonbinary autistic people, with a call for clarity to advance suicide prevention for the whole autistic community. (Kirby et al., 2024)
Researchers are not entirely clear why autistic people are at increased risk of having suicidal thoughts and behaviours, though it’s likely a number of factors are at play, but maybe that lack of insight is because our experiences and insights as late discovered autistic women have never been heard.
Inside the sanctuary of The Late Discovered Club Post Discovery Circles these experiences are heard and shared.
There is so much more support that could and should be offered to late discovered autistic women in terms of suicide prevention - safety plans for when it is darkest should be a part of everyone's toolkit, trauma informed spaces to speak out loud and hear others experiences, as well as guidance to help ourselves understand our risks and triggers, and how we can reduce and mitigate them.
But there is a complete void of support.
And any professional who is working with/or person who is living with an autistic person needs to be aware and understanding of the risks and how to support when the world becomes too much, without judgment, with compassion, and in a trauma informed way.
We need and we deserve understanding and allyship.
What is clear, is that we need to power progress for late discovered autistic women and the high suicide risk that is associated with late discovery.
Not just for those who have been able to access a formal diagnosis but for all those women who self-identify.
We matter.
And collectively we need to do more.
In our NHS, in private clinics, providers, in research, in funding research, in commissioning services, in our workplaces, in our communities, in our wider families and in our homes.
We are a neurominority of women who have lived our lives not being seen, heard, supported or understood.
We need action.
Catherine Asta
*This is a subject I talk about in more depth in my upcoming book ‘Rediscovered - A Compassionate and Courageous Guide for Late Discovered Autistic Women (and their Allies)’ which will be published on 21st February 2025 by JKP.
