Sadly, autistic people are at an increased risk of suicide compared to non-autistic people. Feeling socially isolated and lonely, and finding it difficult to communicate your feelings, can lead some people to have suicidal thoughts.  

If you are feeling suicidal and need immediate help to keep yourself safe, you should go to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department of any hospital.  

This guide sets out other ways to seek help too. 
 

What is suicide? 

“Suicide is the act of intentionally taking your own life. Suicidal feelings can range from being preoccupied by abstract thoughts about ending your life, or feeling that people would be better off without you, to thinking about methods of suicide, or making clear plans to take your own life”. Mind
 

Triggers for having suicidal thoughts  

All the current research suggests that autistic people are at an increased risk of suicide compared to non-autistic people. 

Both autistic and non-autistic people experience similar triggers for suicidal thoughts, including:   

• depression   
• feelings of hopelessness  
• difficult life events 
• trauma and childhood trauma 
• substance abuse 
• grief and loss (death and end of relationships) 
• employment or money concerns  
• social isolation  
• having an underlying (mental and/or physical) health condition.  

Researchers and autistic people’s accounts suggest a number of potential risks specifically for autistic people. These include:   

• experiencing bullying, social isolation/rejection and loneliness  
• self-harm  
• finding it difficult to understand your own feelings and learning to manage them (also known as emotional regulation) 
• camouflaging (hiding or masking autistic traits or behaviours)  
• sleep problems 
• difficulty accessing post-diagnosis and mental health support   
• difficulty communicating emotions and thoughts with others  
• experiencing alexithymia (difficulties identifying and describing your own and others emotions)  
• experiencing other mental health conditions, such as OCD and depression

Autistic people report that social isolation and loneliness are the most common reasons for suicidal thoughts. 

Some autistic people highlight issues relating to receiving their autism diagnosis later in life. If they had been aware they were autistic earlier on, this may have prevented suicidal thoughts. An autism diagnosis would have given them better self-understanding and access to support which would have improved their mental wellbeing.
 

What should you do if you are feeling suicidal?  

Immediate options for anyone feeling suicidal or unable to keep yourself or others safe: 

• Go to any hospital's Accident and Emergency (A&E) department (sometimes known as the emergency department). 
• Call 999 and ask for an ambulance, if you can't get to A&E.  
• Ask someone else to call 999 for you or take you to A&E. 

If you need support right now but don't want to go to A&E, here are some other options you can try: 

• Call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org – they're always open and are there to listen. 
• Contact your GP for an emergency appointment or the out of hours team. 
• Contact NHS 111 (England, Scotland and Northern Ireland) or NHS Direct 0845 46 47 (Wales). 
• Contact your local crisis resolution and home treatment (CRHT) team, if you're under their care. 

Further support if you are having suicidal thoughts: 

• Speak to a trusted friend or family member.  
• Call a helpline for support and advice.  
• Speak to a doctor who can then recommend the right support or prescribe medication.

Try online communities, such as 

• Big White Wall, which offers support from trained professionals 
• Side by Side, Mind's online community. 

Other autistic people advise that you shouldn't compare yourself to others and you should set small and achievable goals to help keep morale up.
 

Useful links and resources 

For anyone feeling suicidal, the NHS suggests the following helplines for support: 

Samaritans – for everyone 

Call 116 123 
Email jo@samaritans.org 

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – for men 

Call 0800 58 58 58 – 5pm to midnight every day 
Visit the webchat page 

Papyrus – for people under 35 

Call 0800 068 41 41 – 9am to midnight, seven days a week 
Text 07860 039967 
Email pat@papyrus-uk.org 

Childline – for children and young people under 19 

Call 0800 1111 – the number will not show up on your phone bill