Grant: DRA : Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral Program (CGRS D)

Autistic adults are several times more likely to think about, attempt, or die by suicide compared to the general population, making suicide one of the leading causes of premature death in this group. While we know that mental health challenges, difficult life events, and autism-specific factors may increase the risk, there is little research on how these factors interact. We also know very little about how gender, social determinants, and health influence suicide risk in autistic people. This project will investigate suicide risk in autistic adults in two complementary ways. First, we will study autistic adults who visited the psychiatric emergency department at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto between 2018 and 2020. We will compare those who experienced suicidality (thoughts, plans, or attempts) to those who did not, looking at their social background, mental health diagnoses, and life experiences to identify key risk factors. Second, we will use large Canadian health survey data linked with hospital, emergency department, death records, and tax data to compare suicide risk between autistic and non-autistic adults across Canada. We will study how factors like income, social support, physical health, and stress contribute to suicide risk, and whether this risk differs by sex and by gender. By identifying the most important risk factors and pathways in clinical and general community settings, this research will help develop evidence-based, targeted strategies to prevent suicide in autistic adults and reduce the profound health inequities they face.