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Keywords

Social Anxiety, Autism, Suicide Prevention, Social Interaction

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and the third leading cause of death for individuals from 15 to 29-year-olds world-wide (Suicide Data and Statistics, 2024; World Health Organization: WHO, 2024). As prevalent as suicide is among general populations, statistics have shown that the risk is even greater among certain groups such as autistic populations and socially anxious populations. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder which affects communication, behavior, and learning abilities (Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2024). One study reported that individuals with ASD were almost three times more likely to die by suicide when compared with non-ASD individuals (Santomauro et al., 2024), indicating that this population is considered high-risk for suicidal intensity and desire. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is generally classified as a fear or intense aversion to social situations and perceived social scrutiny (Social Anxiety Disorder, n.d.). Buckner et al. (2016) reported that social anxiety is related to greater suicidality in subjects even after controlling for other variables. Multiple studies have examined the impacts of social support as a preventative measure against suicide in neurotypical populations (Šedivy et al., 2017; Chioqueta & Stiles, 2007), but few studies have been performed which compare social interaction and suicide prevention measures between neuroatypical populations. To our knowledge, no studies have differentiated between in-person interaction and digital interaction as preventative measures against suicide for populations with ASD and SAD. This study hypothesizes that social interaction serves as a preventative measure against suicide for neurodiverse populations. We further hypothesize that in-person interaction will be more protective against suicide than digital interaction for both ASD and SAD populations. We predict that individuals with ASD will respond differently to different interaction mediums than individuals with SAD.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Language

English

College

Life Sciences

University Standing at Time of Publication

Senior

Digital vs. In-Person Interaction: Preventing Suicide in Autistic and Socially Anxious Populations

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Life Sciences Commons

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