Comparing suicidal thoughts and behaviours of youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and autistic youth: Caregivers-reported suicidality, access to services and barriers in seeking support
Date
2023-09-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Background. Autistic individuals and individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) are at increased risk for experiencing mental health problems, including suicidality. Both groups have compounding physical and psychological challenges leading to high utilization rates of healthcare services. There is little known about the access and utility of services for suicidal neurodiverse youth and their caregivers. The present study will examine suicidality and barriers to care in neurodiverse youth (i.e., autistic youth and youth with FASD), as well as describe caregivers’ experiences with accessing healthcare services. Methods: Caregivers of neurodiverse youth (FASD n=25; autistic n=35) answered questions in an on-line modified Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSR-S) about their child’s experiences with suicidality, early life adversity, co-occurring mental health conditions, healthcare services, and barriers to accessing support. 12 semi-structured interviews (FASD n=6; autistic n=6) were conducted with caregivers of youth who have experienced suicidality to generate insight into experiences within the healthcare system, ability to access services and receive support and barriers to seeking help. Results: On the CSSR-S, group differences determined that autistic youth had increased suicidal ideation when compared to youth with FASD. Within each neurodivergent groups, females with FASD had increased overall suicidality compared to males. Additionally, across both sexes, as age increased, so did suicidal intensity. No sex or age differences were seen in autistic youth. Co-occurring mental health conditions were associated with increased suicidality across neurodiverse groups, and suicidality was associated with the total number of adverse early life events in only the FASD youth. Services or barriers were not associated with measures of suicidality in either diagnostic group. Both groups of caregivers reported difficulties accessing services to address their child’s suicidality, and that healthcare providers lacked the training to work with neurodiverse youth. Discussion: This is the first study to contrast suicidality, service utilization and barriers to seeking help in autistic youth and youth with FASD from a caregiver’s aspect. Prior studies generally compare neurodiverse groups to their neurotypical peers, and as such assume that neurodiverse groups face similar challenges related to suicidality, yet this has never been investigated. Overall, caregivers of neurodiverse youth are facing a lack of available services and support for helping their children and a healthcare system that is not equipped to work with neurodivergent individuals experiencing suicidality.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Bagshawe, M. J. (2023). Comparing suicidal thoughts and behaviours of youth with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and autistic youth: Caregivers-reported suicidality, access to services and barriers in seeking support (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.