Background
Autistic people are almost 3-times more likely to die by suicide than members of the general population (RR=2.85; 95% UI: 2.05–4.03; Santomauro et al., 2024), yet mental health professionals (MHPs) report being under-equipped and lacking in confidence to effectively identify and support suicidality in this priority population (Hedley et al., 2023). Here we outline an emerging research program aimed at upskilling MHPs to better support autistic people experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviour (STB). We used lived experience and implementation science frameworks to guide the co-development of an online, education and training Autism Suicide Prevention Resource Hub.
Method
We interviewed N=33 autistic adults (Mage=41.72, SD=11.49) with lived experience of STB (16 women, 14 men, 3 nonbinary) about their experiences seeking and receiving mental health support (ethics approval #HEC20235). Results highlighted substantial barriers in a) accessing services; b) finding autism-informed services; and c) finding a “good fit” with clinicians and therapies. The resulting thematic framework “Support Me, Understand Me, Communicate with Me, Help Me Understand Myself” (Wilson et al., 2024) then guided the co-development of Resource Hub materials with key working groups: Autistic people with lived experience of STB (n=15); MHPs with autism expertise (n=15); and parents/carers of autistic people (n=15).
Results
We used planning framework PRISM (Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model; Glasgow et al., 2020) to iteratively refine Resource Hub materials. Priority outcomes were a) representation of autistic lived experience in education and training materials; and b) clinical usability of validated tools for autism suicide screening (Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale-Modified, SIDAS-M; Hedley et al., 2023a), assessment (Suicide Assessment Kit-Modified, SAK-M; Hedley et al., 2023b), and intervention (Autism Adapted Safety Plan, AASP; Rodgers et al., 2023).
Discussion
Future project stages will involve pilot testing Resource Hub workshops with MHPs (n=100) to prospectively evaluate materials against RE-AIM implementation criteria (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance; Glasgow et al., 1999). Ongoing data collection from Resource Hub users will enable evaluation of the long-term success of the Autism Suicide Prevention Resource Hub.