Social Skills and Bullying and their Association with Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Pilot Study

Evidence suggests that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may be associated with an increased risk of suicidal ideation. In light of this situation, it becomes necessary to investigate whether social skills and bullying are factors that influence suicidal behavior. Therefore, this research explores the association between the state of social skills and experiences of bullying, and the degree of suicidal ideation in high-functioning adolescents with ASD. A pilot study was conducted with the participation of 24 high-functioning adolescents with ASD aged between 11 and 18 years. The instruments used for assessment included 1) the Okasha Scale, 2) the Aggression/Victimization Scale, and 3) the Adolescent Multidimensional Social Competence Questionnaire (AMSC-Q). Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and correlation analysis using the Spearman correlation coefficient. The results revealed an association between the level of suicidal ideation, bullying (rs 0.73; p<0.05), and specific dimensions of social skills: cognitive reappraisal (rs-0.44; p<0.05), normative adjustment (rs-0.659; p<0.05), and social efficacy (rs-0.45; p<0.05). It is concluded that there is a correlation between bullying and the degree of suicidal ideation. Additionally, it is observed that some dimensions of social competence are associated with suicidal ideation in the population of adolescents with ASD. © 2023, Universidad de Chile, Departamento de Fonoaudiologia. All rights reserved.