Adapted suicide safety plans to address self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide behaviours in autistic adults: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

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Rodgers, J., Goodwin, J., Nielsen, E., Bhattarai, N., Heslop, P., Kharatikoopaei, E., O’Connor, R. C., Ogundimu, E., Ramsay, S. E., Steele, K., Townsend, E., Vale, L., Walton, E., Wilson, C., & Cassidy, S. (2023). Adapted suicide safety plans to address self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide behaviours in autistic adults: protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 9(1), 31-31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-023-01264-8

Publication date: 28 Feb 2023 Added to AutiHub: 24 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
15
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 15 (6.7%)
  1. Jacqui Rodgers
  2. Jane Goodwin
  3. Emma Nielsen *
  4. Nawaraj Bhattarai
  5. Phil Heslop
  1. Ehsan Kharatikoopaei
  2. Rory C. O’Connor
  3. Emmanuel Ogundimu
  4. Sheena E. Ramsay
  5. Katie Steele
  1. Ellen Townsend
  2. Luke Vale
  3. Emily Walton
  4. Colin Wilson
  5. Sarah Cassidy

Abstract

Abstract Background Suicide prevention is a national priority for the UK government. Autistic people are at greater risk of experiencing self-harm and suicidal thoughts and behaviours than the general population. Safety plans are widely used in suicide prevention but have not yet been designed with and for autistic people. We developed the first safety plan specifically targeting suicidality in autistic adults: the Autism Adapted Safety Plan (AASP). It consists of a prioritised list of hierarchical steps that can be used prior to or during a crisis to mitigate risk of self-harm and suicidal behaviour. This is a pilot study that aims to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the AASPs and the research processes, including the response rates, potential barriers and reach of AASPs, methods of recruitment, what comprises usual care, and economic evaluation methods/tools. Methods This is an external pilot randomised controlled trial of a suicide prevention tool aimed at mitigating the risk of self-harm and suicidal behaviour in autistic adults: AASPs. Participants will be assessed at baseline and followed up 1 month and 6 months later. Assessments include questions about self-harm, suicidality, service use, and their experience of the AASP/taking part in the study. Autistic adults who have a clinical autism diagnosis and self-reported history of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or suicidal behaviours within the last 6 months will be invited to take part in the study. Informed consent will be obtained. Participants will be recruited via community and third sector services (including community settings, autism charities, and mental health charities). They may also “self-refer” into the study through social media recruitment and word of mouth. Ninety participants will be randomised to either develop an AASP or receive their usual care in a 1:1 ratio. Discussion The present study will provide an evaluation of the suitability of the processes that would be undertaken in a larger definitive study, including recruitment, randomisation, methods, questionnaires, outcome measures, treatment, and follow-up assessments. Trial registration ISRCTN70594445, Protocol v4: 8/2/22.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 01:35.

Cited references
38
With a DOI
27
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
9
2 / 38 (5.3%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
5 / 38 (13.2%)
References with detected author names
35 / 38 (92.1%)
Without detected author names
3
Without a structured title
5
Without a stable identifier
9
References with raw author names still to review
3
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
155
From DOI or external metadata
155
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
4
41 / 155 (26.5%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 114 / 155 (73.5%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
3 / 155 (1.9%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 3 / 41 (7.3%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 3 / 143 (2.1%).
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