A significant number of people who died by suicide were likely autistic, but undiagnosed, according to new research that highlights the urgent need for earlier

Around 70% of young people who report self-harming or suicidal thoughts are within normal or non-clinical range of mental distress.  

An international team of researchers has identified key networks within the brain which they say interact to increase the risk that an individual will think about – or attempt – suicide. Writing in Molecular Psychiatry, the researchers say that their review of existing literature highlights how little research has been done into one of the world’s major killers, particularly among the most vulnerable groups.