Risk of suicide attempt with gender diversity and neurodiversity

• Published in: Psychiatry research Vol. 333; p. 115632
• Main Authors: Polidori, Lorenzo, Sarli, Giuseppe, Berardelli, Isabella, Pompili, Maurizio, Baldessarini, Ross J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier B.V 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Autism spectrum disorder; Gender; Mental health; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Suicide; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Mental health; Transgender; Gender; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Suicide; Autism spectrum disorder
• ISSN: 0165-1781; 1872-7123; 1872-7123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115632

•Gender- and neuro-diverse individuals are at augmented risk for suicide attempts.•Gender-diversity and neurodevelopmental disorders frequently co-occur.•Suicidal risk is much greater in gender- than neuro-diversity.•There is limited information about suicidal risk in individuals with co-occurring gender- and neuro-diversity. There is growing concern about psychiatric illness co-occurring with gender-diversity and neurodiversity, including risk of suicidal behavior. We carried out systematic reviews of research literature pertaining to suicide attempt rates in association with gender- and neurodiversity, with meta-analysis of findings. Rates of suicidal acts ranked: gender-diverse versus controls (20.1% vs. 1.90%; highly significant) > autism spectrum disorder (4.51% vs. 1.00%; highly significant) > attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (7.52% vs. 4.09%; not significant). Attempt rates also were greater among controls who included sexual minorities (5.35% vs. 1.41%). The rate among male-to-female transgender subjects (29.1%) was slightly lower than in female-to-male subjects (30.7%), who also were encountered 24.3% more often. In sum, suicidal risk was much greater with gender-diversity than neurodiversity. Suicide attempts rate was somewhat greater among female-to-male transgender subjects. Available information was insufficient to test whether suicidal risk would be even greater among persons with both gender- and neurodiversity.