In what is deemed the first large-scale clinical study of its kind, researchers from the University of Cambridge in the UK suggest that adults who have Asperger’s syndrome are at much higher risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts than the general population.

The research team, led by Dr. Sarah Cassidy and Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen of the Autism Research Centre at the university, recently published their findings in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Asperger’s syndrome is a type of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characterized by difficulties with communication, problems with social interaction and repetitive patterns of behavior. Unlike those with other ASDs, individuals with Asperger’s tend to have good cognitive and language skills.

According to the investigators, Asperger’s is frequently linked with depression, but very few studies have analyzed how the disorder affects an adult’s suicidal ideation – thoughts about committing suicide.

With this in mind, Dr. Cassidy, Prof. Baron-Cohen and their colleagues assessed 374 individuals in the UK who had been diagnosed with Asperger’s as an adult between 2004 and 2013.

All participants were required to complete a questionnaire that asked them to report their lifetime experience of depression, suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts. Rates of suicidal ideation among participants were then compared with the rates of suicidal ideation among the general UK population and patients with other psychosis.