Study shows autistic people are more likely to engage in self-harm — but not because of autism
“When we are raised to believe we are broken and defective ... is it any wonder we grow up with poor self-esteem and mental ill health?”
Autistic people are at a much higher risk of self-harm leading to emergency care or suicide, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open. In particular, the study found, autistic females had an 83% increased risk of self-harm compared to non-autistic females, while for males, the increased risk compared to non-autistic individuals was 47%.
Although a diagnosis of autism appears to significantly increase the risk of self-harm or suicide, the heightened risk was not linked to autism itself. Rather, the study found that autistic people also have a higher likelihood of having mental illnesses, said Meng-Chuan Lai, professor at the Centre for Addiction Mental Health at the University of Toronto and a lead author of the study.
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