[Self-harming behavior and suicide attempts in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic overview]

Recent research indicates that the risk of suicide attempts in autism spectrum disorder is substantially higher than in the general population. Although a number of factors may play a role in suicide, in the present review we focused on the meta-analyses that examined self-injurious behavior and suicide attempts in autism due to the importance of these factors. Results to date suggest that the risk of self-harming behavior and suicide attempts in autism is approximately three-times higher than in the general population. Of concern, are findings that suggest that women with autism are 5-13 times more likely to complete suicide than women without autism. It is noteworthy that the high-functioning autistic group has a significantly higher risk of suicide than the low-functioning group. By contrast, the risk of death from somatic causes is higher in the low-functioning autistic group. The results of this systematic overview of the available meta-analyses may help health care professionals, decision-makers, affected persons and their relatives to recognize self-injurious behavior and suicide risk in time, thereby facilitating prevention.