PhD Research

Understanding and reducing thoughts of ending life covers a series of research projects being undertaken by Mirabel Pelton, and forms the basis for her PhD:

My research aims to understand how the unique experiences of autistic adults may lead to thoughts of wanting to end life. We know now from research that autistic people are more likely to think about suicide but we don’t know how these thoughts develop. Research has now identified that, amongst autistic adults, some risk factors for suicide from the general population are more common, such as abuse or depression, but we know that most who experience these won’t go on to die by suicide. This is where my research comes in.

My research sets out to explore how such thoughts may develop and then how an individual may come to act on those thoughts. I’m exploring whether the unique experiences of autistic adults may lead them to experience feelings of being a burden on others and feeling like they don’t belong. The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide argues that experiencing belonging and autonomy are so fundamental that, without these, an individual can feel such distress they wish to end their life. If they have also experienced traumatic life events they may then be more likely to act on these thoughts. These themes are often reflected in research describing quality of life and mental health difficulties amongst autistic people but this is the first time this theoretical approach to suicide will be tested amongst autistic people.

Theoretically driven research can provide much more detailed information about how and where to target suicide interventions. I hope through this research to produce evidence that increases the specificity of risk assessments, improves the effectiveness of clinical services and highlights the importance of broader support services for autistic people. I plan, in addition to academic publication, to produce a short service-oriented policy summary. I am fortunate in my work to have been guided by a group of autistic adults who have shared their views on my ideas, the utility of my research and the presentation of my online survey.

This research is made possible with funding from Coventry University and with the collaboration of the Autism Research Centre, Cambridge.

I am thoroughly grateful for the support and inspiration of my supervisory team: Sarah Cassidy, Hayley Crawford, Ashley Robertson and Jacqui Rodgers.

Mirabel Pelton