Autism And Suicide

Autism And Suicide.
Children with autism may have a higher-than-average peril of contemplating or attempting suicide, a recent study suggests. Researchers found that mothers of children with autism were much more likely than other moms to require 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 universal in older kids (aged 10 and up) and those whose mothers observation they were depressed, as well as kids whose moms said they were teased. An autism superb not involved in the research, however, said the study had limitations, and that the findings "should be interpreted cautiously".

One percipience is that the information was based on mothers' reports, and that's a limitation in any study, said Cynthia Johnson, big cheese of the Autism Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Johnson also said mothers were asked about suicidal and "self-harming" jibber-jabber or behavior. "A lot of children with autism horse feathers about or engage in self-harming behavior," she said. "That doesn't mean there's a suicidal intent".

Still, Johnson said it makes suspect that children with autism would have a higher-than-normal gamble of suicidal tendencies. It's known that they have increased rates of depression and anxiety symptoms, for example. The broadcasting of suicidal behavior in these kids "is an important one," Johnson said, "and it deserves further study".

Autism spectrum disorders are a association of developmental brain disorders that obstruct a child's ability to communicate and interact socially. They range from severe cases of "classic" autism to the extent 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 rule to as altered consciousness as one in 50 children. The additional findings, reported in the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, are based on surveys of nearly 800 mothers of children with an autism spectrum disorder, 35 whose kids were unhindered of autism but suffered from depression, and nearly 200 whose kids had neither disorder.

The children ranged in seniority from 1 to 16, and the autism spectrum brawl cases ranged in severity. Non-autistic children with depression had the highest place of suicidal talk and behavior, according to mothers - 43 percent said it was a problem at least "sometimes".

Among children with autism spectrum disorders, those with concavity symptoms were at greatest risk of suicidal hot air or attempts. Overall, 77 percent of autistic children with suicidal behavior were considered to be depressed by their mothers. The results highlight the certainty that children with autism spectrum disorders go through from a range of issues other than the classic autism symptoms, said Angela Gorman, one of the study's researchers.

And "Sometimes these other things get overshadowed by the autism spectrum clutter symptoms themselves," said Gorman, an aid professor of child psychiatry at Penn State College of Medicine, in Hershey. She suggested that parents reimburse close attention to what "normal behavior" is for their child, so they can attend when a potential red flag arises, such as an increase in sad moods or angry outbursts.

So "If you have any concerns, be effective your child in for an evaluation with a psychologist or psychiatrist," Gorman said. Although the swat tied having autism to more suicidal talk or attempts, it didn't prove that these children are more appropriate to commit suicide. Besides depression symptoms, bullying also seemed to be a risk factor for suicidal behavior, the researchers found.

Kids with autism whose mothers said they were teased were three times more right to show such behavior. And teasing was common, reported by 57 percent of mothers. That's in song and dance with a just out study that found nearly half of US teens with autism spectrum disorders have been bullied by other kids.

Johnson agreed that these news findings underscore the many issues children with autism spectrum disorders face. "These are exposed children," she said. Johnson said she already talks with parents about the increased risks of bust and anxiety associated with autism. As for formal 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 present sense, she said, to hang around until children are older, but there are no set-in-stone rules for how or when to screen. And if your child is showing embryonic warning signs? Gorman said therapy would depend on each child's situation, including how despotic the autism is and what co-existing problems - such as depression - there might be. Johnson said that if parents are ill at ease about changes in their child's behavior, they should bring it up to their doctor. But she also stressed that atmosphere or behavior shifts could have any number of causes medworldplus.net. "My advice to parents is, don't panic," she said.