All-cause mortality and suicide mortality in autistic individuals: An entire population longitudinal study in Taiwan.

This major study followed nearly 50,000 autistic people in Taiwan for 15 years. It found that autistic people have higher risks of dying from all causes, including suicide, compared to non-autistic people. The study showed autistic men are more likely to die by suicide, while autistic women face higher risks of accidental death. This research highlights the serious health challenges autistic people face throughout their lives.

This large-scale population study examined mortality rates among autistic individuals in Taiwan from 2003-2017. Researchers identified 45,398 autistic individuals from the entire Taiwanese population and matched them with 181,592 non-autistic controls. The study found significantly increased risks of all-cause mortality, natural-cause mortality, and suicide mortality among autistic individuals compared to non-autistic peers. Gender differences emerged, with autistic males showing higher suicide mortality risk and autistic females experiencing increased accidental death risk.

This represents the first comprehensive population-based mortality study in an Asian country, providing crucial insights into the elevated health risks faced by autistic individuals across the lifespan.

Findings demonstrate urgent need for comprehensive healthcare approaches including enhanced medical monitoring, mental health support, and suicide prevention programs for autistic individuals. Gender-specific risk assessment protocols should be developed, with particular attention to suicide prevention for males and accident prevention for females.

The abstract does not specify causes of increased mortality, detailed methodology, or potential confounding factors. No information provided about healthcare access, comorbidities, or specific risk factors contributing to elevated mortality rates.

Our study was the first population-based study in an Asian country to investigate the mortality rates among autistic individuals. Among the entire Taiwanese population ( = 29,253,529), between 2003 and 2017, 45,398 autistic individuals were identified and 1:4 age-/sex-matched to 181,592 non-autistic individuals. We found that autistic individuals had increased risks of all-cause mortality, natural-cause mortality, and suicide mortality compared with non-autistic individuals. Furthermore, autistic males were more likely to die by suicide, and autistic females were more likely to die of accident compared with the non-autistic individuals.