What is it about?
This review synthesizes 21st-century evidence on trends in autism prevalence and youth suicide, and examines research linking autism to suicidality. It also discusses how psychedelics—through effects on serotonergic and glutamatergic systems—might be neurobiologically relevant to autism and suicide, while emphasizing that direct clinical evidence remains limited.
Why is it important?
Autism prevalence and youth suicide have both increased over recent decades, drawing attention to potential shared risk pathways, including psychiatric comorbidities and neurobiological mechanisms. By integrating epidemiological trends with emerging neuroscience and psychedelic research, this review frames testable hypotheses for future studies, while highlighting where the current evidence base is strong versus preliminary.
Main findings
- Reported autism prevalence has risen substantially across decades, influenced by diagnostic changes, awareness, and broader social/contextual factors discussed in the review.
- Evidence summarized in the review indicates elevated suicidality in autistic individuals, particularly among those without intellectual disability, and suicide risk may be further increased by psychiatric comorbidities (e.g., ADHD, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia).
- The authors highlight converging evidence for serotonin and glutamate dysregulation in both autism and suicidality, proposing this as a plausible biological bridge relevant to psychedelic mechanisms.
- Clinical research on psychedelics in autism and in high-suicide-risk populations is described as early-stage, with limited direct trial evidence and important methodological constraints.
What do the authors argue?
The authors argue that parallel increases in autism prevalence and youth suicide warrant integrated research attention, and that shared mechanisms—particularly serotonergic and glutamatergic pathways—may help explain links between autism traits and suicidality. They propose that psychedelic compounds, given their neuropharmacology, are a theoretically relevant research direction, but emphasize that safety and efficacy for autism and suicide require substantially more rigorous clinical evidence.
Team Member Spotlight
You can find the paper here.