Risk for Premature Mortality and Intentional Self-harm in Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 51; no. 9; pp. 3098 - 3108
• Main Authors: Jokiranta-Olkoniemi, Elina, Gyllenberg, David, Sucksdorff, Dan, Suominen, Auli, Kronström, Kim, Chudal, Roshan, Sourander, Andre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2021; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: At Risk Persons; Attrition (Research Studies); Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic children; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Child and School Psychology; Child Health; Children; Comorbidity; Correlation; Death; Death & dying; Departments; Diagnosis; Family (Sociological Unit); Hospitals; Intention; Mental Disorders; Mortality; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Parents; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Premature mortality; Psychiatry; Psychology; Public Health; Risk factors; Self Destructive Behavior; Self injury; Suicide; Finland; Autism; Suicide; Psychiatric disorders; Mortality; Natural cause
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04768-x

To examine the risk for premature mortality and intentional self-harm in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Based on a national birth cohort. Children born in 1987–2005, diagnosed with ASD by 2007 (n = 4695) were matched with four non-ASD subjects (n = 18,450) and followed until 2015 for mortality and intentional self-harm. The risk among ASD subjects was elevated only for natural cause of death. The risk for intentional self-harm was increased in the unadjusted analyses, but decreased to non-significant after adjusting for comorbid psychiatric disorders. ASD subjects are at increased risk for premature mortality due to natural causes of death. While ASD subjects die of suicide and present with more self-harm, the association is explained by comorbid psychiatric disorders.