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Published on: July 11, 2025
Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder
Tatja Hirvikoski1, Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz2, Marcus Boman2
1Tatja Hirvikoski, PhD, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Unit, Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden and Habilitation and Health, Stockholm County Council, Sweden; Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz, PhD, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Insurance Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Marcus Boman, BSc, Henrik Larsson, PhD, Paul Lichtenstein, PhD, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Sven Bölte, PhD, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Pediatric Neuropsychiatry Unit, Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm and Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm County Council, Sweden Tatja.Hirvikoski@ki.se.
Mortality is significantly higher in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This increased risk of premature death is linked to numerous medical conditions and is influenced by gender and intellectual ability.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Growing evidence suggests elevated mortality rates in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Understanding the extent and causes of this increased mortality is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate all-cause and cause-specific mortality in individuals diagnosed with ASD.
- To explore how gender and intellectual ability moderate mortality patterns in ASD.
Main Methods:
- A population-based cohort study compared 27,122 individuals with ASD to 2,672,185 matched controls.
- Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to assess mortality risk.
Main Results:
- Individuals with ASD had a significantly higher mortality rate (2.60%) compared to the general population (0.91%), with an OR of 2.56.
- Elevated mortality was observed across nearly all analyzed diagnostic categories in the ASD group.
- Gender and general intellectual ability showed a moderating effect on mortality patterns.
Conclusions:
- Premature mortality is markedly increased in individuals with ASD.
- This heightened mortality is attributed to a wide range of medical conditions.
- The findings underscore the need for comprehensive healthcare and support for individuals with ASD.
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