Journal Article

Autism, Intellectual Disability and Suicide Risk in Adolescent Psychiatric Emergencies: A Two-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

Mucci, Maria, D’Acunto, Maria Giulia, Lenzi, Francesca, Masi, Gabriele, Di Sarno, Cristina, Ricci, Marika, Liboni, Francesca, Narzisi, Antonio

2026

Overview

Background: Adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and borderline intellectual functioning/intellectual disability (BIF/ID), represent a clinically complex population in psychiatric emergency settings, with unclear contributions to acute psychopathology and suicide risk. Aims: This study examined whether ASD and BIF/ID differentially influence clinical severity, psychopathological profiles, and suicidality in adolescents admitted for psychiatric emergencies, comparing high-functioning ASD, ASD with cognitive impairment, and adolescents without NDDs. Methods: We conducted a retrospective, single-center cohort study including 206 consecutive patients aged 11–17 years admitted to a psychiatric emergency unit between January 2022 and December 2023. Patients were stratified into four groups: ASD (ASD-HF; ASD-BIF/ID), BIF/ID and N-ASD/N-BIF/IDClinical severity, global functioning, psychiatric diagnoses, adverse childhood experiences, emotional dysregulation, and suicidality were assessed using standardized diagnostic and behavioral measures. Group comparisons were performed to identify predictors of suicidality. Results: ASD-BIF/ID patients exhibited the lowest global functioning, whereas ASD-HF adolescents showed functioning comparable to controls. Suicidal ideation and behaviors were significantly more frequent in ASD-HF. BIF/ID was associated with greater behavioral impairment and lower suicidality. Conclusions: ASD and BIF/ID may differentially shape psychiatric emergency presentations. Adolescents with high-functioning ASD showed a higher prevalence of suicidality in this specific clinical context. Limits: This study is limited by its cross-sectional, single-center, and retrospective design, small and uneven subgroup sizes, and assessment tools not specifically validated for autistic or intellectually disabled populations. The high prevalence of bipolar spectrum disorders may reflect referral bias. Despite these limitations, adolescents with high-functioning ASD exhibited elevated suicidality, underscoring the importance of risk assessment adapted to cognitive and diagnostic profiles.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
• Subject: Adolescents / Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / Autism / autism spectrum disorder (ASD) / borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) / Cardiac patients / Children / Cognitive ability / Disability / Intellectual disabilities / intellectual disability (ID) / Intelligence / Medical research / Medicine, Experimental / Mental disorders / Neurodevelopmental disorders / neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) / psychiatric emergencies / Psychology, Pathological / Psychopathology / Risk assessment / Risk factors / Suicidal behavior / Suicidal ideation / Suicide / Suicides & suicide attempts / Teenagers / Youth